Inside Asian Gaming

inside asian gaming January 2017 16 Industry profile “Macau has a lot more to it than most see on the outset. Macau continues to change and evolve, it’s great to be a part of it.” and advice I had the opportunity to join IGT, the world leader in gaming. BB: Can you tell us about your role at IGT? PS: I work as the System Sales Manager for Asia. What that really means is I help our customers execute strategies to realize their vision. Systems are complex and offer huge customization options through flexible tools. The goals of a casino in Oklahoma are much the same as a casino here in Macau, however the processes and procedures will be largely different. New system products are built to assist customers to automate tasks so that their staff can focus on the more important parts of their daily roles. As well as this, these tools can help provide a return on investment. Now tools can be used to help Marketing, Slots and Table teams. This value-add software is becoming more and more prominent in the market here in Macau and throughout Asia. Essentially, helping customers to achieve their vision is what I enjoy most. BB: How did you find the transition to living in Macau during your first year here? PS: I’ll start by just saying that I love Macau. I love living here and working here. Macau has a lot more to it than most see on the outset. Macau continues to change and evolve, it’s great to be a part of it. Because I spent a large amount of time in Macau and Hong Kong before moving here, the transition was fairly seamless. Macau feels like home now. BB: There has been a lot of talk about diversifying Macau. Away from the the city continue to focus on non-gaming entertainment as this will help bring a finer balance of the two, which helps the city as a whole. It looks like gaming revenue will grow at about 10% for 2017. It will be interesting to see where specifically the growth comes from and then how this will be reinvested. BB: Has the changing focus of the industry in Macau towards mass impacted your approach or how you view the future for yourself and IGT?  job, what are your thoughts on Macau in 2017? PS: A lot of people will say, “Macau was better before.” I think Macau has had some growing pains but when you consider the speed of which this city has grown and the relatively trivial issues associated with the enormous growth, you can agree that Macau’s done quite well. The large casinos are addressing the non-gaming segments. I’d like to see more of this. Sheldon Adelson speaks of Macau becoming the Paris of Asia. I’d like to see