Inside Asian Gaming

May 2014 inside asian gaming 79 comfort, all are very important.” It’s why all the design and graphics for IGT’s Asian offerings are done in Beijing. “Those developers are all Chinese nationals,” he notes. “That was an important move we made 18 months ago.” It’s shown up in the inroads the company has made with the “market-attuned” strategy it launched around that same time, led by games such as West Journey Treasure Hunt and more recently with Fire Pearl and Dragon Dance. “West Journey Treasure Hunt did very well,” Mr Tom notes, “and the others are early in the cycle, so we’re crossing our fingers.” IGT is also getting more strategic in Asia with its tables and systems offerings. Electronic tables such as Roulette Evolution are a bigger part of the mix than in other parts of the world, and the company sees plenty of opportunity as well for the mainstays of its renowned portfolio of management tools, including IGT Advantage, Casinolink and its sbX server-based technologies. With half a dozen new casinos expected to open in Macau and the Philippines over the next few years, these are expected to assume an even more prominent role. “A number of themare current customers and a number of them are prospective customers that might be involved in what we believe is the best next-generation technology, so those six represent a great opportunity for us,” Mr Tom says. Table Manager is a powerful example—a fully automated system that maximizes comping accuracy, increases productivity and delivers promotions directly to table players. Combined with Casinolink, it supports full connectivity across the floor, bringing together slot machines, table games, account-based wagering, marketing and the cage into one comprehensive system. Growing its Asian machine base has been challenging, but the company sees continuing opportunities as the region evolves. Expansion in the Philippines, the prospect down the road for casinos in Japan, and the maturation of Macau, all raise IGT’s hopes that slots will eventually represent a much larger share of the revenue pie than they do now. The trajectory the company is looking for is one similar to that which transformed the US gaming industry at the end of the 20th century. Mr Tom says, “I get reminded by some of our older board members who say, ‘You know, back in the day, Las Vegas was a table games market.’ It was craps and blackjack, principally, and the slot machines were developed as somewhat of an afterthought. When you think about what we call the democratization of the slot machine, when you had the riverboats allowed to have gaming, you had Native American gaming, it started to proliferate so that the common man could play as opposed to the James Bond kind of aura that surrounded table games. … Slots became the game of preference. “You kind of wonder if that evolution can occur in Asia. If you look at Japan, which is a market everybody is excited about, pachinko is the game of choice, which is in many respects a slot machine. You wonder if Japan will be different. Already, when you look at Singapore, slot machines make up a higher percentage than in Macau, and the Philippines even higher. “So Macau is unique, and our hope is that over time democratization of gaming will show a preference for slot machines, and we’ll all benefit from it.” Visit IGT at Stand #908 New for 2014 — Azure Dragon inside asian gaming www.asgam.com All gaming. All Asia. Log onto www.asgam.com for the latest industry intelligence and a free subscription to our digital edition. G2E ASIA 2014