Inside Asian Gaming

June 2016 inside asian gaming 45 suggest given that the month ended on a Saturday, meaning some April takings will actually be reported inMay’s revenue results instead. There were also some encouraging signs for Nevada, which has seen gaming wins up by 0.67% in the fiscal year to date. Game and table win was up 4.1% state-wide with baccarat enjoying a 9.9% increase on April 2015 – just the fourth time in the past 12 months that baccarat win amounts have increased. While Las Vegas struggled somewhat, things were different further north with Reno up 19% toUS$50million andWashoe County up 15.5% to US$66.2 million with every market in the county enjoying gains. Sports betting proved particularly fruitful as it continues to become an increasingly important sector for the Nevada gaming industry – something Macau would do well to take note of. US$292.3 million was wagered on sport in April, which was the 32nd time in the past 36 months sports betting wagering has risen. This year alone sports betting is up 16% on the Strip compared to the first four months of 2015. Skill-based slot machines a work in progress The emergence of skill-based slot machines could eventually see players competing against one another for cash prizes, according to Group Chief Executive of Gaming at Scientific Games, Derik Mooberry. Speaking with IAG in a lengthy discussion about the future of electronic gaming, Mr Mooberry predicted skill-based games could vastly change the landscape for operators and suppliers looking to appeal to a broader market. Although still in their infancy, a number of companies showed off their first forays into the world of skill-based games at last year’s Global Gaming Expo (G2E) in Las Vegas – including Scientific Games who have developed a prototype based on the arcade classic Space Invaders. But Moobery predicted this new sector of the industry will look very different by the time it gains genuine traction on casino floors. “It’s going to depend on the regulation in each market to define what skill is and what’s allowed,” he said. “Our Space Invaders game – in its regular mode it plays like a normal slot with reel spins, paying lines and payouts but the skill element comes in during the bonus round. In the bonus round you have the choice to take the free games experience and get the randomized payout or you can take a skill- based experience where you literally play the Space Invaders game and based on how well you play it, that will determine your credits. We think that’s a nice, gradual transition into full skill. INTERNATIONAL BRIEFS “But in the future you will see games that are competition games – people playing against each other where maybe the operator takes a fee for hosting it. It could be electronic in nature. I think those sorts of things will evolve along with it, but as for which ones become more popular? That’s going to be the question the consumer must decide. They will determine what they want to play.” Video games have so far proved a popular base for those developing this first wave of skill-based games with Guitar Hero, Angry Birds and Candy Crush among the themes. However, it may still be some time before we see any on casino floors. Nevada and New Jersey recently became the first US states to implement regulation governing skill-based games but much like online poker and Daily Fantasy Sports before them, other states and jurisdictions have so far offered varying levels of enthusiasm. Chinese-themed resorts making progress in Las Vegas Significant progress has been made on two Chinese-themed resorts in Las Vegas, with the first – Lucky Dragon – on track to open by the end of the year. The boutique casino, located on the corner of Sahara Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard just south of the Stratosphere, will feature 204 hotel rooms, a 27,500-square-foot gaming area, five restaurants, three bars and a glass dragon sculpture weighing well over a ton. Lucky Dragon’s Chief Operating Officer David Jacoby said the development schedule remained on track despite having a request for tax increment financing to the tune of US$25 million rejected by Las Vegas City Council. “That really had no effect on the development schedule,” Jacoby told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “We didn’t change around the project for it; it didn’t speed up or slow down the project.” Lucky Dragon is hoping to lure Chinese gamblers its way with its heavy use of Asian themes, as well as making the most of its prime location with Jacoby stating that momentum was clearly shifting to the northern end of the Strip. Nearby, Genting has finally broken ground on its giant Chinese-themed Resorts World Las Vegas project. The US$4 billion project will feature four hotel towers with a combined 7,000 rooms, a 175,000-square-foot casino, a conference center and a 29,350-square-foot lake surrounded by a Chinese garden. It is scheduled to open its first phase in 2019. An artist’s impression of Genting ’s US$4 billion Resorts World Las Vegas