Inside Asian Gaming

March 2013 | INSIDE ASIAN GAMING 17 BMM Compliance to provide testing and certification services, training for local technicians and assistance with the ongoing development of Macau-specific gaming standards. Not surprisingly, some 40% of the graduates of MPI’s four-year degree program have gone on to jobs in gaming and related industries, another 13% in hospitality and tourism. Having grown up in the shadow of some of the largest and most successful casinos in the world, MPI was equipped with a rich context for developing a course of study capable of providing a “bridge,” as the Institute thinks of it, between today’s slot floors and tomorrow’s advancements in information technology—especially as these apply to the practical and the tactical: to data analysis, for instance, and data- base marketing and customer relationship management, all of which, of course, are continually evolving as well. First, though, students needa foundation in management information systems and their applications. Gaming is actually one of two specializations built onto the Bachelor of Science in Computing degree. “Enterprise Information Systems” is the other. Both provide that grounding—in mathematics, computer systems and networking, data management,informationsystemsplanning, design and control—what the Institute considers “good fundamental computing concepts” and “sound intellectual and practical skills”. What is expected of the program’s aspiring “Computer Specialists in Gaming Technology” is the ability to creatively apply this knowledge in their chosen fields. To get there they must complete a rigorous course of study, taught in English, in their third and fourth years, consisting of: • Introduction to Gaming Technology • Gaming Technology I and II • Mathematics for Gaming Technology • Multimedia Application Development • Digital Image and Video Processing • Computer Game Design and Development In their fourth year students are required to solve practical problems or conduct supervised research in related topics. As you can imagine, the career paths are numerous and wide: IT, banking, government and, of course, gaming operations and supply. The latter is what drew the interest of International Game Technology, the US- based slots and systems giant that has been an avid supporter of open standards and readily joined with GSA to support the Institute and its students, donating equipment (including two of its state-of- the-art AVP slot machines), and providing advice and expertise and education and training for MPI faculty at its Reno, Nev., headquarters. In acknowledgement of IGT’s contribution, MPI President Lei Heong Iok presented the company with a certificate of appreciation last month at a ceremony held at the Institute, accompanied by a traditional exchange of gifts between Professor Lei and IGT’s Mick Caban, who serves as pre-sales manager for Asia, based in Macau. “We have gained a great deal of experience,”Professor Lei said, addressingMr Caban, “and with [IGT] joining us we expect even better results.” “What you’re doing here is very good,” Mr Caban replied. “I have a passion for helping people better understand our business. For too long in this industry people have been doing things in the same ways because they were the ways it’s always been done. This, hopefully, will open up new ways of looking at things and new ways of doing things.” It was GSA that introduced IGT to the Institute. IGT grasped the significance immediately. AsMrCabansaid,“Systemsnow is no longer just about slots. It encompasses every part of casino and hotel operations— table games, marketing, auditing, finance, the cage. With the growth of systems in gaming, it’s the IT people who are going to control the future.” In light of which, MPI stands uniquely positioned to influence how that future unfolds. “GSA, they facilitated this; IGT, they supported it,” acknowledges Dr. Tse, “and together we hope to bring the talent and technology to Macau. We want to make a contribution to the community. Our goal is to create innovators.” In Focus “We’ve gained a great deal of experience,”MPI President Lei Heong Iok told IGT’s Mick Caban last month in a ceremony acknowledging the slot manufacturer’s contribution to the Institute’s gaming program.