Inside Asian Gaming

INSIDE ASIAN GAMING | February 2010 42 Shuffle Master V IP and mass market baccarat accounted for over 88% of Macau’s 119.4 billion patacas (US$14.9 billion) of casino revenue in 2009. Every other casino game could be considered an ‘also-ran.’ Macau’s total casino revenue has almost trebled since 2004— when it stood at 41.4 billion patacas. For much of the intervening period, the city’s casino capacity struggled to keep up with demand. There was little incentive for operators to invest in or promote games beyond the core earner: baccarat. As a result, baccarat’s share of total revenue has increased—from 74.9% in 2004 to 88.2% in 2009. Some of the also-ran games have fared better than others. Slots have been a standout performer, increasing their share of revenue from 1.5% in 2004 to 5.4% in 2009. This is part of a virtuous cycle that has prompted Macau casino operators to give slots greater attention, driving further revenue growth. Although most of the other games have seen growth in absolute revenue in line with the heady rise in casino visitation, some games have fared better than others. Some, such as paikao —which earned 136 million patacas in 2004, but only 54 million in 2009—have even seen declines in absolute terms. Revving Up the Little Engines Shuffle Master’s i-Table™ system offers versatility in increasing revenue from Macau’s ‘other’ games Shuffle Master’s i-Table™ system