Inside Asian Gaming

INSIDE ASIAN GAMING | June 2012 26 USPC As far as theglobal playingcards business is concerned, Asia’s where it’s at. “That’s primarily because of the single use of the decks of cards here,” observes Michael W. Slaughter, President of Global Sales Retail and Casino at The United States Playing Card Company (USPC), one of the world’s leading suppliers of playing cards to the casino industry. The main reason playing cards can only be used once in Asia is because of the widespread practice of “squeezing cards”— where baccarat players slowly peel back each card dealt to them, usually loudly and emphatically expressing either delight or disappointment as the result is revealed. Card squeezing not only prolongs and heightens the drama and excitement of each round, but importantly, also feeds the belief among many Chinese players that they can influence the outcome of the game by channeling their energy into the cards. That belief, bolstered by the other prevalent belief that the outcome of each round can be predicted by referring to past patterns, underlies the insatiable appetite for baccarat among Chinese players. Of course, the other big reason casinos in Macau have a much higher propensity than their international counterparts to use each deck only once is the much larger sums involved at their tables. Compromising the integrity of the games at Macau’s tables costs much more than any potential savings from reusing cards. “So from a secure supply chain standpoint from beginning to end, the Shoe Boost Armed with a new and improved electronic baccarat shoe, The United States Playing Card Company is determined to increase sales and support to Asian casinos From left to right: USPC Technical Customer Service Manager – Asia Austin Ao; Vice President Sales – Asia AdamMcGregor; President of Global Sales Retail and Casino Michael W.Slaughter; and Director, Global Casino Sales Scott Madding