Inside Asian Gaming

INSIDE ASIAN GAMING | July 2011 46 A t last month’s G2E Asia show, Austria’s Novomatic had a high profile on the exhibition floor. That reflected its long standing presence in the region and also its recent push into Macau, the world’s biggest casino gaming market by gross revenue. Novomatic and its international commercial unit Austrian Gaming Industries recently recruited the assistanceof thehighly experienced slots executive Joe Pisano to assist with sales and service in Macau and across the region. Inside Asian Gaming spoke to David Orrick, Communications & Business Development Director for Austrian Gaming Industries, about Macau, Novomatic’s Super-V+ GAMINATOR and the dynamic world that is Asian casino gaming. Inside Asian Gaming : Austrian Gaming Industries/Novomatic seems to have taken a ‘wait and see’ approach to the Macau market. You didn’t rush in at the beginning after market liberalisation with a lot of product like some competitors. Why was that? David Orrick : As always, the answer is in the game. We wanted to be sure that the individual games and the multi-game mixes that we created were absolutely ‘on target’ for the requirements of the market. We believe that is now the case but, of course, we need to undertake a programme of testing on location to validate that belief. What was your thinking on the timing of Macau market entry now? Game development is an ongoing process but we are very much of the belief that we have the games that the market wants right now. Operators seem to agree, based on the requests for trials that we have received, so the time is now right to see what the ultimate judges—the players—think of what we have to offer. Please tell us about what slot product youcurrentlyhaveinMacauandwhere it is sited and whether it’s all volatile or a mix of volatile/progressive. We have started with the slot floor at Venetian; utilising Novomatic’s multi- language, multi-denomination machines all fine-tuned to the requirements of the market. Was the Super-V+ GAMINATOR the obvious choice from your product catalogue for Macau? If so, why? The Super V+ GAMINATOR is our flagship product, so that—based on our experience in othermarkets—made perfect sense.There has also been a huge amount of interest in the NovoStar slant top cabinet and we will see that product gradually being introduced also; as is happening already across Asia. All in the Game Novomatic has taken care to get its slot and electronic table offer right in Macau and beyond David Orrick with some of Novomatic’s Super-V+ GAMINATOR machines Novomatic