Inside Asian Gaming

6 Trouble in Paradise The US Pacific territory of the Northern Marianas is taking big strides toward realizing its gaming potential—but it’s stumbling badly with its biggest bet yet, a $2 billion resort plan for the main island of Saipan. FEATURES 18 Securing the Pit Know-your-customer is more than a strategy at Gaming Partners International. It’s a discipline. And in Asia it’s been honed to a fine edge. 22 Asia: Straight Ahead The themes, the links, the maths, the play mechanics, they’re all lining up behind Bally Technologies’ biggest Eastern push yet. 26 A Showcase of Solutions The Macao Gaming Show intends to be the region’s premier platform for new technologies to meet the industry’s latest challenges. INSIGHTS 28 China and Gambling: a Love Story The phenomenon that is Macau is nourished by some deep historical roots, says UMAC Associate Professor Desmond Lam. Read all about it in his latest book. TECH TALK 32 Focused Expansion Singapore’s slot club market is the latest target in DLV’s Asia expansion push. 34 Sealing the Deal If you’ve never heard of Malaysia’s Mega Fortris, that’s because they’re so good at their mission to secure every casino’s most precious assets. 36 Hitting the Key Notes High 5 Games is on a tireless mission to gather feedback to drive game development. BRIEFS 42 Regional Briefs 44 International Briefs 46 Events Calendar Contents July 2014 IN Focus 14 Clearing the Air Come October, Macau’s booming casinos are supposed to go smoke-free. Well, not really. High-limit cash tables will be largely exempted, leading observers to forecast only a mild impact on gaming revenues. COVER STORY