The second installment of the annual awards.
This year’s Inside Asian Gaming Supplier Awards have been expanded to cover table gaming supplies and slot peripherals as well as slots and electronic multiplayer machines. This is to reflect the continuing importance of the live table segment across multiple markets in the region, and the vital role that high quality ‘peripherals’ play in maintaining a good experience for slot players and in keeping slot machines and tables operative and profitable on casino floors.
Our judges are all senior executives in the regional casino industry with detailed practical knowledge on what it takes to create successful products in the high-revenue, high-energy Asia-Pacific region. The judges are based in Macau and South Korea (representing East Asia), the Philippines (representing Southeast Asia), and Cambodia (representing Indochina). Singapore is not included this year because its tablegaming market only commenced operation in February.
We’re also publishing the criteria on which the awards have been based. In most cases, winning products received more than one nomination and similar score weightings from multiple judges, thus creating a majority winner. In cases of deadlock, the weightings were rated against the original judging criteria and the best performer under those criteria was declared the winner.
ALL WINNERS
ELECTRONIC GAMES
The judging criteria for electronic games were as follow:
* Revenue performance measured by average daily hold over period of installation (65% of the final assessment).
* Operator floor feedback based on software stability, quality of hardware build, ease of servicing (15% of the final assessment).
* Cost flexibility for operators based on the options made available (such as outright purchase/revenue participation/management contract). This was weighted 15% of the final assessment.
* Crowd pulling appeal of the cabinet and overhead sign (5% of the final assessment).
- Best Standalone Electronic Game
- Best Linked Progressive Game
- Best Multi-Player Game
- Best Innovation in Electronic Games
ELECTRONIC GAMING PERIPHERALS
The term ‘peripherals’ could imply this equipment is only a bit part player in the daily drama of casino gaming. That’s not the case. Digital technology has allowed slot peripherals such as printers and bill acceptors to become increasingly ‘smart’. It has also allowed them to become increasingly reliable and increasingly flexible and integrated with the operator’s floor. All these qualities help to maintain and build casino profitability by reducing machine down time and reducing revenue leakage from technical error or fraud. These capabilities also make for a better player experience because there are fewer frustrating ticket-inticket-out (TITO) breakdowns or bill acceptance errors. The judging criteria are:
* Operator floor feedback based on software stability, quality of hardware build, ease of servicing and upgrade, modularity (weighted at 60% of the final assessment).
* Player friendliness based on ease of use, robustness, level of intelligence, player interaction (weighted at 20% of the final assessment).
* Interoperability and integration based on ability to plug and play, linkage to operator’s back of house functions (weighted at 20% of the final assessment).
- Best Electronic Gaming Peripheral — Bill Acceptor
- Best Electronic Gaming Peripheral — Printer
- Best Electronic Game Signage
TABLE GAMING SUPPLIES
Electronic gaming equipment tends to represent the most high value and technically complex part of a casino’s inventory. But modern live tables are by no means the low-tech environments they were a few decades ago. Many of the benefits of digital technology and networking that have so transformed the slots and multiplayer segments are also having an impact on table gaming.
The benefits of technology can be seen even in what appears on the surface to be a relatively low-tech, traditional casino supply product such as playing cards. Many casino grade cards now have highly complex manufacturing processes to reduce the risk of shoe malfunction or dealing errors.
- Best Table Gaming Essential
- Best Table Utility Product
- Best Table Gaming Peripheral
- Best Table Gaming Innovation
Inside Asian Gaming Editor’s Pick
- Editor’s Pick