Inside Asian Gaming

December 2015 inside asian gaming 15 Industry profile KJ: Not so much stories but fond memories for those of us here 10 years ago, whilst staying at the then Mandarin Oriental (now Grand Lapa Hotel) with its nightlife (Embassy Bar, the only place then everyone went to meet and socialize) and watching Sands casino being built during visits to the hotel swimming pool. I learnt construction workers in this part of the world can sleep absolutely anywhere during breaks. Upon returning home to Australia numerous times I was asked by friends where I had been travelling so I had to explain where Macau was – it was basically unknown then. I remember landing one evening in Hanoi (for the first time ever) and finding myself in a taxi heading to a hotel in the pitch dark wondering why the car was on a dirt road and if I would survive past the visit. Of course the next day I discovered we were taking a shorter route on a road under construction that went around the outside of the city. One time I was going to local Macau Chinese restaurant and had to walk around inside the restaurant looking at everyone’s meal and pointing to what I would like to order. There were no English menus in those days. There have been many stories and great times over the last 11 years in Macau. IAG: In your view, how has Macau changed over the years? KJ: I can remember in the early days before Sands Casino on Macau Peninsula was built thinking they want to turn this place into another Las Vegas and wondering how that was going to happen. Casino construction and experiences in Macau are now amongst the best in the world – it truly has been a transformation from a sleepy village. Another change – traffic, traffic and more traffic, Macau is now one big traffic jam. There’s more variety in restaurants, new apartment living and more western faces since my early days. Another big change is international recognition of where Macau is and the role it now plays in the Pearl River Delta. IAG: How do you think slots have developed in the Asian market over the last 10 years? KJ: Asian slot development has seen Chinese language, Chinese themes, Chinese proverbs and Chinese culture being shown and told on the machines. The Macau slot market has driven volatility and jackpots causing manufacturers to offer more range in their development studios so as to cover Asia. Choy Sun Doa to 88 Fortunes and the Fa Fa Fa to Duo Fu Duo Cai links are all products of this. The early changes started when I was at Aristocrat (where previously games developed and installed in Australia were brought to Asia), the request came in Asia asking how we make machines more suited to Chinese players. Firstly we changed the credit meter, bet meter and win meter on the screen to show in Chinese characters above the English. Additionally the game feature was translated to Chinese characters to better explain the game feature in the top artwork so players knew what to chase. Machines today are primarily Asian themed with Chinese characters and language appearing throughout. Manufactures use the tools at hand to produce better graphics, better mathematics and more aesthetically pleasing cabinets. “I can remember in the early days before Sands Casino on Macau Peninsula was built thinking they want to turn this place into another Las Vegas and wondering how that was going to happen. Casino construction and experiences in Macau are now amongst the best in the world — it truly has been a transformation from a sleepy village.”