Inside Asian Gaming

APR 2019 INSIDE ASIAN GAMING 49 seen some strong interest across Southeast Asia over the past year or so. Macau was a little bit slower last year but there have been some openings in Cambodia and there is more coming up both there and in Vietnam later this year. BB: So those are the two countries where you see the greatest opportunity for expansion? HN: Yes, to an extent. There is still some opportunity in Macau. There are two new casinos in Cotai due to open by 2020 – Grand Lisboa Palace and Lisboeta – which can bring new opportunities to APE because Macau has slowed down a little bit since we had all those openings close together a few years ago. But I think Southeast Asia is growing quicker. There are a couple of new casinos opening in Vietnam this year including Hoiana, which is being developed by Hoi An South Development. Hoiana Casino will be managed by Suncity Group Management and Consultancy Ltd (SGMC), which is under Suncity Group Holdings. Suncity has also signed up with casinos in countries like Cambodia, Vietnam, Russia and Korea. We’re seeing some strong demand for ETGs in Vietnam. Also, Cambodia has quite a lot happening in Sihanoukville and a few other places. Those are the places we are conducting a lot of new business right now. We are also receiving more enquires for the leasing of EGMs in all of those markets – the Philippines, Cambodia and Vietnam. BB: Macau’s gaming industry is obviously dominated by table games. What are your thoughts on the state of the EGM market in Macau right now? HN: EGMs comprise only a small part of Macau’s gaming floors, but they are very big floors. Even though table games are the driving force, the EGM market is still quite large which I think people sometimes forget when they think about Macau. We are also seeing steady growth in the mass market sector and our clients – the six casino operators – are looking for new ways to serve this sector which provides a great opportunity for companies like APE because EGMs and ETGs are a great way to do so. It’s also why a product like “Fortune Cup” which I mentioned earlier has so much potential. The operators are looking for new and exciting products that stand out on the casino floor which opens the door for us to provide what they are looking for. It’s all about giving them something new and exciting. Konami’s “Fortune Cup” has been installed in two Macau casinos “EGMs comprise only a small part of Macau’s gaming floors, but they are very big floors. The EGM market is still quite large which I think people sometimes forget when they think about Macau.”