Inside Asian Gaming

December 2016 inside asian gaming 19 TP: Right, because at the end of the day we’re doing a production. My wife is in the film industry in feature animation and there are many, many commonalities in the production process. We’re doing animations and mapping out stories and possible outcomes. It just comes down to being entertainment. No matter how brief, you’re taking a player from one point to whatever that end point is. One of the things I love about slot machines – and I’m the first to admit I’m not a table games guy – is that you go into a movie and however much that costs you with some popcorn and whatever, if you’re lucky you see a movie that’s 90 minutes long so you get 90 minutes of entertainment and something to talk about a bit later. Bu that money you’ve given up is gone. With a slot machine I can take HK$100 and maybe turn that into HK$30 million. And yeah, there is almost no chance of that happening … but there is a chance. That’s not something you can say about movies. Slot machines are aspirational. And the fun isn’t just at the machine. When you sit down and watch players play, there is that hesitation between two spins where it’s like, “Okay, this spin is going to be the one where my life changes forever.” So they are not so quick to push the button always because they want to live in that fantasy for a little bit. It all comes down to being entertainment. Also, in gaming, we’re all vying for those same discretionary dollars. People have only so much money to spend on entertainment whether it be going to a concert or a movie or whatever it might be. We want to give them something that also gives them a chance at a life changing event. IAG: So you moved to Shanghai to start Aspect Gaming. Was it a culture shock for you? TP: I’ve been there almost nine years. Culturally it is quite different but it has just been such a wonderful opportunity to experience a different part of the world and a tremendous culture. I think that Shanghai is the best place to live in China. We’ve got everything there. It hasn’t always been that way. When we first arrived there were certain things you just couldn’t get food-wise but that has changed considerably. The only thing we can’t get is good Mexican food and as Californians we love Mexican food! But some of the biggest challenges were things like hiring people and getting used to the way we needed to work to get the best out of our employees. That was a big challenge. IAG: How has Macau’s rapid development in that nine years impacted you? TP: We’ve learnt a lot from gaming in Macau and we’ve seen the transition to what it is now. I used to have a hard time getting a flight from Shanghai to Macau. The last two years it seems like most of the time the planes have been half empty and the tickets cheaper. But that seems to be changing again these last couple of months. I’ve noticed the planes being a bit fuller again. It’s exciting. I see Macau bouncing back and I think the mass market players are starting to show up. The other thing is that there have been some really fantastic properties opening up in Macau recently. It’s great to see the diversity that we’re now seeing in terms of what is offered and the experience. It’s not just gaming and I think Macau is learning, as Vegas did, that you have to step back and reinvent yourself. IAG: It would be remiss of me not to ask about your return to acting. I hear you’ve recently starred in a new film? TP: Yes! I had an opportunity to audition for a part in a movie, I got a part in the movie and I got to film it! I’m now 56 years old so to have the opportunity to be in a movie is something that doesn’t come along every couple of weeks. I was thrilled to be included in it, I like the movie, there are some really talented people in it and there is already talk of doing a second one and maybe a third one. The movie is called Pegasus and my part is that of a CIA agent. I guess I just kind of fit the bill. Type-casting! So it was a wonderful experience and I’m looking forward to that film being released here pretty soon. Industry profile “With a slot machine I can take HK$100 and maybe turn that into HK$30 million. And yeah, there is almost no chance of that happening … but there is a chance. That’s not something you can say about movies.” Tony Payne i n a scene from his new film Pegasus