Inside Asian Gaming

inside asian gaming MArch 2016 14 This year you will see Paltronics in every single Macau concessionaire. We will have a Paltronics One Link jackpot and media system running in most of their properties. IAG: How do Paltronics offerings differ in the Macau market compared with Australia? KR: We really had to enhance our standalone product to better fit into a management system. It’s a scale issue, instead of hundreds of slots in a property like you might have in Australia, in Macau you’re dealing with thousands of slots in a property and that necessarily meant having to grow the product to handle that kind of volume. Paltronics has also moved into the table market in Asia. It happened gradually. I would say 2015 was the year we genuinely became a player in the table market. But aside from products, a big difference is the way we do business here. In Australia, typically I would deal with one person at a venue. In Macau I have to liaise with people from four departments: IT, Marketing, Slots and Tables and one meeting can consist of 20 people and you! IAG: What about the rest of Asia? KR: Paltronics does business with most countries in Asia that have gaming such as Singapore, the Philippines, Vietnam and Korea. Going to these countries is a bit like starting all over again. In Macau everyone knows each other and we are all friends but elsewhere you have to build those relationships. You might be surprised to know that in the other countries sometimes we actually say “no” to a full system sale! Why? Well sometimes operators want a product because they’ve seen it in Macau – but maybe that product isn’t suitable for them as a smaller operator compared to the enormous slot floors we see here in Macau. If we sell it to them, and eventually they decide that it was a waste of money, that’s not good for us in the long run. We have a standalone product that we believe suits smaller properties much better. IAG: Who do you really admire in the industry? KR: I really respect and admire Cath Burns. From a gaming perspective she is smart, fair, respectful, she has a broad knowledge base and has endless energy and that’s what I love about her! No matter how busy Industry profile she is she would never turn you away. I class myself lucky to know her the way I do. IAG: What kind of growth do you predict in electronic gaming in the next few years across Asia? KR: People have said there might be an oversupply issue and I think that might be true. But the place is so unpredictable! Steve’s predictions always seem to come true but I don’t want to quote him. He would be the one to ask! IAG: Gaming is a very male dominated industry. As a woman, how is business in this industry different for you? KR: I find that people don’t have an issue with me being a woman at all. I really think it has never come into it. It’s more about your knowledge – and it is important to be honest with your customers about what you know and what you don’t. I’m not an engineer or a technician and I’m honest about that. I know my limits and I think people respect my honesty. I have never been outwardly disrespected for being a woman and I think the industry has some great women in it and they are all embraced. IAG: You are very active in the International Ladies Club of Macau. How did you get involved and what do you see ILCM’s role as? KR: I used to go to all the ILCM events and was asked to join the Board to focus on fund raising events. I knew I wanted to help but cannot bring myself to detach emotionally from a lot of the sadness that comes with the charities ICLM supports. So I became the Director of Fundraising Events; my job is to get the money! I do that, but what I do is nothing compared to what the community service team of ILCM achieve. They are selfless and they are amazing. But it doesn’t matter what I have done to change ILCM; so many amazing women built it over a long period of time. As for the role the ILCM plays in Macau, I think it highlights the people that slip through the gaps and who need help, especially to the expat community. IAG: What does Kylie Rogers like to do in her spare time? KR: I love my girls and just happen to think they are cool kids so I try to take them everywhere. Travelling is my passion as anyone who knows me knows … I just don’t like to sit still! Yes and I like to party that will be no surprise to anybody! IAG: Where do you see yourself in five to ten years? KR: I’ve been with Steve at Paltronics 16 years and it’s been phenomenal. But five to ten years from now it would be time to pass on the Paltronics baton to a younger, more dynamic team. By then I hope to be surrounded by the family I left behind back in Australia – and it must be somewhere on the water! I hope that I have a successful family business. I’ll let you in on a secret – I’d like to own a pub or a bar actually, which again would be no surprise to anyone! I am quite proud of Macau for accepting all of us westerners who suddenly came flooding in. We have been accepted graciously despite the fact that westerners bombarded Macau when all the new casinos opened. The local Macau people have now embraced a lot more western culture. I’m happy that the Macanese like the new way of Macau.