Inside Asian Gaming

IAG OCT 2021年10月 亞博匯 85 日本 Japan. Of course, there is a long and complicated history as to whether or not poker and mahjong tournaments with cash prizes qualify as gambling. Since collecting entry fees and using them for prize money is regarded as gambling, the law is usually side-stepped by utilizing a format where entry fees are used to pay for the venue and operating expenses, then prizes are provided by a sponsor. In a future with IRs, it may be possible to hold such events in casinos where a genuine gambling element is permitted. Notably, poker was among the nine games announced by Japan’s Casino Regulatory Commission in April as being permitted to operate inside the nation’s casinos. Ito adds, “The mission of ‘m’ is to make Texas Hold’em part of Japan’s culture as an eSport online and a mind sport offline. We will link O to O (Online to Offline) within the range allowed by Japanese legal regulations, including IR.” For an added element of excitement, Sammy has developed an innovative new poker table, already installed at Meguro, which makes ample use of technology, voice and background music through projection mapping. “The two main features of this table are the colorful background videos and special effects to make the game more exciting, and the automatic play support function, both aiming to incorporate new players,” explains Ito. “The colorful background draws in players who have never played poker while the all-in and showdown effects enhance enjoyment. The play support notifies players of their turn and which players are active, making it easy and comfortable for newbies to join in. This was what we were aiming for with this table and also what makes it one-of-a-kind. “Naturally there are convenient features that you won’t find on a brick-and-mortar table, that appeal to not only beginners, but seasoned players as well, such as the tournament structure display function and automatic transfer of the dealer button. “At venues, this game eliminates the issue of deteriorating felt and it can also accommodate games other than poker at a moment’s notice. We hope to continue to provide unique experiences for both new and existing users and operating venues, that were not possible with conventional poker tables.” When IAG played at the table, the play progression was intuitive and the effects provided a sense of excitement. An international poker expert 辦法是，入場費用於支付場地和營運費用，然後由贊助商提供獎 金。當未來日本建成綜合度假村（IR）項目，就有可能在娛樂場 內舉辦此類活動，允許真正的賭博元素。值得注意的是，日本娛 樂場監管委員會今年4 月宣布允許在該國娛樂場內營運的九款遊 戲之中就包含了撲克。 伊藤補充道：「『m』的使命是讓德州撲克成為日本線上電 子競技和線下智力運動文化的一部分。我們將在日本法律法規（ 包括 IR項目）允許的範圍內，串連線上到線下的體驗。」 為了豐富相關的體驗元素，颯美開發了創新的新型撲克桌， 並安裝在目黑區的撲克室中，通過科技、語音和背景音樂進行投 影。 「這張撲克桌的兩大特點是，讓遊戲更加精彩的彩色背景 視頻和特效，以及支援自動播放的功能，這些都是旨在吸引新玩 家。」伊藤解釋道。 「彩色背景吸引從未玩過撲克的玩家，而全押和攤牌效果則 增強了遊戲樂趣。遊戲支援會通知玩家何時輪到他們以及哪些玩 家處於活躍狀態，讓新手可以輕鬆自在地加入。這就是我們設計 “We believed that if we could implement solid branding and image strategy, poker could also be accepted as a pastime in Japan in the same way that mahjong, shogi and go are.” – Yasukatsu Ito 我們相信若能夠落實出色的品牌推廣和 形象策略，撲克也可以像麻雀、將棋和 圍棋一樣在日本被視為一種消遣活動。 - 伊藤保勝