Inside Asian Gaming

INSIDE ASIAN GAMING | March 2012 16 Supplier Awards Winner: Gaming Partners International – Bourgogne & Grasset American-Style Chips Gaming Partners International (GPI) is the dominant supplier of chips and plaques in the Macau and Singapore markets. The company’s recent acquisition of OMC, a high precision mould-making company located near GPI’s French headquarters in Beaune, means GPI is able to offer an even higher level of chip and plaque customisation to casinos than previously. Honourable Mention: Matsui – RFID Chip System Matsui introduced its RFID chips and chips recognition system to the market in 2010. Since then it has refined the products to make them some of the most effective anti- fraud and cage support technologies available to casino operators. Best Table Gaming Innovation Selections for this category were made at the discretion of the judges, who were instructed to choose any product they felt had provided an outstanding contribution to the development of the Asian casino table gaming industry in the last year. Winner: TCSJOHNHUXLEY – Gaming Floor Live Gaming Floor Live is a real-time live table optimisation tool developed by TCS JOHNHUXLEY to maximise key performance areas and casino profitability. The roulette format was recently introduced to the Macau market after a successful multiple-table trial. The system automatically captures game data via sensors on the wheel and table, providing vital information to maximise turnover, maintain house advantage, reduce operating costs and allow operators to understand opportunity costs. Honourable Mention: Gaming Partners International – Portable Chip Reader GPI’s Portable Chip Reader gives casinos the ultimate flexibility in authenticating and validating RFID-enabled gaming chips, plaques and jetons. By enabling casino staff quickly and accurately to read, authenticate and count their RFID currency items from any location at any time, the Portable Chip Reader extends RFID currency protection from the cage or chip bank to the table, the pit podium or even to back-of-house counting areas. Bourgogne & Grasset American-style chips Matsui RFID chips Nominees: Manufacturer Title Gaming Partners International Portable Chip Reader Shuffle Master i-Table TCS JOHNHUXLEY Gaming Floor Live Walker Digital Perfect Pay baccarat Gaming Floor Live The following two awards were made at the editor’s discretion, after consideration of industry developments and feedback from various operators, players and suppliers. Best Asian Supplier Winner: Weike Gaming Technology Weike has been a trailblazer for Asia-based casino technology suppliers. Because it’s located in Singapore, Weike benefits from a skilled workforce comfortable at dealing with Western-managed casino operators, but with clear insight into the needs of Chinese and other Asian players. As well as developing quality slot products that have found clear niches in the Macau and Singapore markets, the company has also been building up its systems business. This development of the product catalogue has been complemented by operational insights gained from a subsidiary’s slot operations in Macau. Weike’s ability to build its market presence in the key gaming jurisdictions of Macau and Singapore through a combination ofregulatoryacumenandstrategicpartnership is what earns the company this award for the second year running. Editor’s Pick Winner: Shuffle Master – MD3 Shuffler As mentioned, the MD3 Shuffler manages to improve on an already high-quality product, the MD2 Shuffler. The MD3 can read and verify every card being shuffled, bringing an unprecedented level of security tomulti-deck tables like blackjack and baccarat. Its patented platform and gripper system counts and shuffles up to eight decks of cards quickly and quietly, and alerts the dealer about missing or added cards. Honourable Mention: Bally – Cash Spin Cash Spin utilises Bally’s U-Spin gesture-control play mechanic, which allows players to touch the screen and spin a virtual wheel, with a chance to win marketing dollars. That’s helped Cash Spin become the fastest selling premium game title in Bally’s history. SPECIAL AWARDS The MD3 Shuffler GPI’s Portable Chip Reader