Inside Asian Gaming

inside asian gaming FEBRUARY 2016 14 was not sustainable. We have to make the transition to a Vegas-style mass- market based more on non-gaming entertainment. Of course that will be painful and it won’t happen overnight, but I’m confident it can be achieved. I think in the second half of this year the decline may stop and growth may return; slow, but constant and sustainable. IAG: How do Aruze’s offerings cater to the Asian market? AY: We’re an Asian company with one R&D center in Japan and another in the Philippines so our understanding of Asian gamers is very deep. Our background is pachinko and there’s a strong element of that in our designs. Mr Okada himself has made direct input into many of our products. We don’t do live tables, but on the machine side there’s not one genre we don’t have, whether it’s electronic table games, community games or stepper machines. We have something for any first time player and our diversity makes us well positioned for the current transition to mass-market. IAG: Obviously there has been a lot of talk about casino gaming coming to Japan over the years. What are your feelings on its chances? AY: I think it will happen but not very Industry profile soon. Last year there was a push to get a law passed but it was unsuccessful. I think it will be another year before their congress meets again on the matter. IAG: Who in the industry do you admire most? AY: I think that has to be my boss, Mr Okada. He has a great deal of experience and understanding of the industry, so he can pinpoint what makes a product stand out from our competitors. He’s personally very involved in the process of product development. IAG: What do you like to do in your spare time? AY: My family is in Hong Kong so when I go back there at the weekend the time I can spend with them is very important to me. Apart from that, I’m a huge sports fan. I’ll get up at 4am to watch my favorite team in the NBA or NFL. For the English Premier League I’m a great supporter of Liverpool. Win or lose, I’m forever red. IAG: Where do you see yourself in five to ten years? AY: In a stronger Aruze. Although we’re established in Asia there’s a lot we can do to grow our business in Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines. In Europe we are still young and don’t have much footprint. Step by step, we’re looking to expand our market share. I’m a huge sports fan. I’ll get up at 4am to watch my favorite team in the NBA or NFL. For the English Premier League I’m a great supporter of Liverpool. Win or lose, I’m forever red.