Inside Asian Gaming

6 The Pleasure of Anticipation COVER STORY Legendary video game developer Hisao Oguchi believes it’s time for slot machines to be fun again. He envisions casinos as meccas of communal entertainment, and as president of SEGA SAMMY CREATION, the casino gaming arm of the Japanese pachinko giant, he’s got big things in mind to achieve it. SUPPLIER AWARDS 2014 24 From the cutting-edge to the tried-and- true, there was a lot to get excited about on Asia’s casino floors over the last year, and we salute the manufacturers and developers who brought it all to market. IN FOCUS 16 Gaining a Foothold With tentative approval from the government of South Korea, US casino giant Caesars Entertainment finally looks to be close to securing the presence in Asia it’s been after for years. FEATURES 14 Okada’s Manila Blues Kazuo Okada’s Universal Entertainment has lost one Philippine partner and fallen out with another, throwing a new hurdle in the path of the company’s planned $2 billion megaresort. 34 He’s Got Clout Sheldon Adelson muscles a bill to outlaw Web gambling into the US Congress. 38 A Behemoth on the Block? IGT’s regional markets in the US are down, international opportunities have proved challenging, and analysts are speculating that the slot giant may be ripe for a takeover. TECH TALK 30 Testing the Testers Today’s independent gaming labs are finding challenges aplenty in keeping pace with the rapid evolution of technology in the 21st century. BRIEFS 42 Regional Briefs 44 International Briefs 46 Events Calendar Contents Supplier Awards 2014