What is now being billed as "the most important gaming event in Asia" took place in Macau from June 3-5.
G2E Asia, a joint venture between Reed Exhibitions and the American Gaming Association, celebrated its second year by moving to the prestigious Venetian. The venue change allowed the show to expand significantly.
Opening the show, AGA president and CEO Frank Fahrenkopf said: "We are tremendously excited to bring G2E back for its second year. Last year’s event was good but limited by the space available, which meant we couldn’t have the type of show that is necessary for the region.
"Now we have more than enough space, but we will grow this show at the pace that is needed." He added that the show was sold out almost immediately and that 175 companies from 24 countries were exhibiting.
"The faith we had in this part of Asia, particularly Macau, has been proven. The industry has grown tremendously here and created strains on the infrastructure. When the Cotai Strip is complete it will need around 100,000 people to work in those establishments. It is important that the industry and the government maintain discussions."
Fahrenkopf also touched upon the subject of problem gambling. "One per cent of gamblers have a problem and in the US we work hard to address this. We are now starting to do the same thing here." The show also featured a one-day training programme put together by the University of Macau and the University of Las Vegas.
A major feature of the conference sessions that accompanied the trade show was the Future Watch Survey. "We started this a couple of years ago in Las Vegas," said Fahrenkopf. "We talk to people in the industry and ask them how they see the future. It has proved to be so good, we decided to try it here.
"We polled leaders from the Asian gaming industry about the outlook for growth in Macau and the potential for growth elsewhere in Asia. A total of 25 people were surveyed and the results will be announced during the show. US casinos grossed $31.4bn last year, but it is likely that revenues in Asia will exceed that by 2012, which is remarkable growth.
"Those surveyed believed that this fast growth is down to continued growth in Macau and this can carry on art the current rate for the next three to 10 years. When asked which country will be the next one to experience gaming growth, Taiwan came out on top, with Japan next and Thailand third. They also thought that this would not hurt the market in Macau.
"Non-gaming activities will become more relevant. Currently in Macau, 90 per cent of casino revenues are from gaming, but that 10 per cent is expected to grow significantly in the next few years. In the US only 40 per cent of casino revenue comes from gaming now."
He pointed out that there are challenges facing gaming in Asia. "Can Macau’s infrastructure keep up when the Cotai Strip is finished? There is a labour shortage and the problems of rising prices and the lack of available land.
"Forty-three per cent of those surveyed think that Macau will be helped by expansion elsewhere in the region and 43 per cent think it will be hurt by it. Las Vegas continued to grow through the expansion of both Atlantic City and Native American gaming.
Gaming machine manufacturer Casino Technology of Bulgaria was making its debut at the Macau show.
"We are new to the market but we have launched a range of innovative games for it, so we have good expectations," said corporate PR and advertising manager Rositsa Stefanova. "We hope to find new clients and new business. We have a lot of meetings lined up."
Leading the new games was Golden Bird, a high volatility game with an ancient Chinese theme. With 100 winning lines, a range of features include a whole screen filled with the same symbol to tempt the player with the chance to win big prizes. It is Asian themed and very much aimed at Asian players.
Bush Explorer is a 243-line game based on the reel power concept, enabling the player to choose the number of reels he wants to play. "If the player wants to gamble hard, he can," said- Stefanova. "If he wants to take it easy, he can also. Players will like having that choice. There is a wide range of players out there and we try to cater for them all."
Steve Surch, group director of international sales and market development, said: "This is a huge market and we are a global supplier. We have a plan for the next five years and are currently looking for Asian distributors, as well as making contact with all the major operators."
Server-supported gaming specialist Videobet was at G2E Asia for the second time. "We are just at the beginning of our business venture here in Asia," said marketing communication manager Ornit Gilman. "We have developed Asian themes for our new games, such as Silent Samurai, because we believe his market has big potential for us."
The company was sharing a stand with Playtech, of which it is a subsidiary. Playtech has already achieved considerable success in Asia with its poker network and other things and Videobet presented a collection of land-based, mobile and internet games in Macau.
Particularly highlighted was the company’s Bling machine, a multigame that can be server-based or standalone. It can also connect to an online jackpot, creating the possibility to win millions of dollars on the one machine. "No one else can offer this facility," said Gilman.
Although it has a partner in Asia, RGB, Slovenian multiplayer manufacturer Alfastreet showed its commitment to the market by taking its own space in Macau.
"It’s a new show and it is growing fast and we decided to take our own booth to present our brand," said the company’s Matjaz Petek. "We are very much focusing on south-east Asia at the moment; it is a very important market for us. We are looking at the whole region, especially countries like Vietnam.
"There are many opportunities here and our main goal at G2E Asia is to present our new developments to the key operators."
Alfastreet launched a new series of video multiplayers at the show. The first one is a baccarat game, but there are more to follow. "Also important for this market is our sic bo multiplayer," said Petek.
Of G2E Asia, he added: "We would like the show to be more important for the region as a whole rather than Macau, but this will take some time. If the show is to have a bright future it will have to cater for the whole of south-east Asia. Macau is important, but it is not everything."
Alfastreet is very happy with its partnership with RGB. "We have been working with them for many years and are currently enhancing our partnership. They are a very big player in this area."
Astro Corporation of Taiwan attended G2E Asia in upbeat mood, having just arranged its first large installation in Cambodia. A total of 120 machines are due to go into a casino there.
On other fronts, the company’s range of GLI-approved products continues to expand, with more games coming through the process all the time. And all the games on the firm’s stand at G2E Asia featured new, improved graphics.
Astro also launched five new games at the show, including Flagship and Knockdown, two GLI-approved games, and Dragon Saga and Golden Empire, new games for Macau and Peru. Also new was Carnival, a game for the AWP markets in Europe and South America.
"We are still getting GLI approval for games all the time, on an ongoing basis," said sales manager Scott Huang. "Our main task here in Macau is to find out what the players in this market place want; we believe this is another market that holds huge amounts of potential for us."
Progressive Gaming International’s Asia vice president Bryce Rubio is confident that the company’s products are perfectly aligned to the needs of the Asian market.
Speaking at G2E Asia in Macau, he said: "Because we specialise in RFID and table management systems, we are ideally suited to a table gaming market like Asia. This fact is key to our strategy in the region and also important is our customer strategy, whereby we do our utmost to align products with customer needs."
Highlighted on the company’s stand was a new chip tray that reads chips at the table. "So the operator knows exactly what is going on on that tale at all times," said Rubio.
PGI is partnered with Elixir Gaming in the Asia region. "We have worked closely with them to roll out our management systems in Cambodia, the Philippines, Vietnam and elsewhere. They have an aggressive schedule and these roll outs will gather even more momentum."
One of the many companies able to take a larger stand this year due to the new venue was Gold Club of Slovenia.
"We had a small booth last year, but this year we have a large one," said the company’s Herman van Lishout. "Asia is a relatively new market for us, although we have been working on Macau for some time. It’s a fast-moving market, which makes it more difficult for smaller companies."
A roulette multiplayer with flexible player stations was due to go out on test the following week and the company highlighted a similar game at G2E Asia. "We recently installed a 16-station machine in a casino in Cambodia," said van Lishout.
"It’s a very flexible way of working for the operator. They can place the stations around the wheel or in another configuration. And if one layout doesn’t work, they can try another.
"We are working hard on this market and are doing well in Vietnam and the Philippines as well as Cambodia." The company was also showing its slot machines at the exhibition.
Bally Technologies is "gaining momentum" in Asia, according to the company’s Gavin Isaacs.
"We got good positioning in the Venetian and Sands here in Macau and are now growing off that base," he said. "Our games are getting good traction and we are taking a rifle rather than shotgun approach. All the games that have worked well in other markets are being tried here - it’s the best strategy for emerging markets. The aim is to grow each year."
Isaacs added that all Bally’s people based in the region, apart from two, are Asian. "We have a young, energetic team with support from our team in India. And we have games designed specifically for these markets, including a mah jong game, Celestial Wheels."
Another game, Chinese Kitchen, is the first game to be developed by the Indian development team. Also highlighted on the stand was Bally’s server-based gaming offering, iView, which now comes with a device for browsing. IVDM will go on trial this summer in the US.
UK-based Cammegh managed to get its full product range onto its stand at the Venetian in Macau.
Star of the show was the Lightning roulette wheel. "This wheel incorporates everything associated with us," said Andrew Cammegh. At ‘no more bets’ the wheel changes colour. "This not only adds drama, it helps the security people," added Cammegh.
"We have been using our experience in different areas to give operators innovations they can use." Another new roulette wheel development in Macau was the double radius pocket fret. "This makes the ball action more unpredictable, again aiding security."
Another addition was a 32ins Billboard display to add to the existing 23ins unit. New also was a keypad the dealer can use to enter the drop and float that links to the display.
"There are a couple more projects that we are working on out here," said Cammegh. "We are increasing our exposure in south-east Asia in general. A lot of OEMs out here are using our equipment."
Major gaming machine manufacturer WMS shared a stand with its slot-making subsidiary, Orion Gaming.
Orion’s Henry Krawczyk said: "We are pleased to present our products in Macau on our own stand with WMS. We recently launched products in France, Bulgaria, Estonia and Portugal and we are now presenting a new model for the Asian market."
He added that there had been interest in this from operators in both Macau and Cambodia. "The new games have been submitted to various testing laboratories and now we look forward to success in these markets."
The company has also seen good sales recently in Argentina.
The fact that Asia is largely a table game market is good news for Shuffle Master, the table game specialist.
"Things are going very well in Asia," said the company’s Kirsten Clark. "It is a good market for us as it is mainly live gaming. And it’s interesting to see how the market is changing, with rapid growth not just in Macau but elsewhere as well."
Shuffle Master is scoring with its eTable products - a mix of live outcome and electronic gaming. "Asian customers like to see live outcomes. Initially we thought fully electronic platforms would pick up quicker than they have. We have installed a few, but players here seem to like the hybrid products better. With hybrid, there is a live element, but the electronic component makes the game faster."
Rapid Baccarat is such a game and a new cabinet making its debut at G2E Asia has given it a 30 per cent smaller platform for venues where floor space is an issue. The cabinet is built for ease of service, with an access hatch at the front.
The company has had a service centre in Macau for a while, but it recently added a sales facility. Sales have grown dramatically since that time.
Interblock’s G4 series of multiplayer gaming machines have already been installed in the Venetian and the Sands in Macau and the company was present with a large stand at G2E Asia.
It was showing its complete range of products - roulette, dice and card games plus the bubble units that offer bingo and keno. Card games available are baccarat and blackjack and dice games are craps and sic bo. Roulette comes with both single and double zero.
Then there is the video unit on which players can choose between both forms of roulette, baccarat, blackjack and horse racing. Highlighted too was the Twins machine that can offer two games on the same multiplayer. Interblock also produces stand-alone stations for multiple configurations.
The company already has 300 machines from its previous generation of product installed in Macau and now G4 is making its mark. "We have just put a 16-player roulette and sic bo game into the Venetian and after the show we expect more installations to follow," said regional sales supervisor Klemen Sitar. "We are also doing business in other parts of Asia."
Taiwanese company Bingotimes Technology, a producer of bingo machines and card game and roulette multiplayers, highlighted a robotic card-dealing arm at G2E Asia.
The company was making its debut at the Macau show. "It is also our first year of going business in Macau," said the company’s Wesley Chang. "We are also doing export business in Cambodia, Indonesia, South Africa, the Philippines and mainland China.
The robot arm deals cards on the company’s baccarat and blackjack multiplayer games. There are also remote terminals that players can use to play on these games and on Bingotimes’ roulette game. "This means there is no limit to the number of players who can play one game," said Chang. "We have just sold a unit that will have 150 players."
Haiwei International Technology of China debuted its first multiplayer gaming machine at G2E Asia.
The eight-player roulette game was on show in Macau, but the unit comes in four and six-player formats at well. Haiwei is aiming the product mainly at the US and European markets, as well as Asia. "This is a brand new product and we have had a good response from operators here," said the company’s overseas sales director, Kemo Qin. "The show is going well and that interest is beginning to translate into orders."
The game has been designed to be ergonomically efficient. "There is more knee room for players than other models have and there is an open roulette wheel so that all the players can see it clearly," said Qin.
The game was completely designed by Haiwei, which also has a showroom in Macau. "We will also be showing this game at the ICE show in London next January," added Qin.
TCS John Huxley showed various products for the first time in Asia, including the AccuPLAY blackjack system, the Automatic Dice Recognition security system for sic bo, Triple Towers Virtual Racing and TouchTable MultiPLAY.
Over the past two years, the company has established its presence in Macau, relocating to new offices and investing heavily in local manufacturing facilities. Also, the team headed by Lee Martin has expanded to include sales, project management, service and support.
"This commitment to the market has paid off with the company being selected to supply a wide range of products and services to all the large new build projects," said regional sales director Rebecca Kingswell.
In line with TCS John Huxley’s strategy to grow international operations, a new office was opened recently in Singapore, headed by Kingswell. "Singapore was the obvious choice as a hub to service these areas as technical expertise and IT skills are excellent," she said. "Also, two of the largest Asian projects are under way there."
The new office will expand the company’s presence into Asia, as well as providing service and support in Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Korea, India and Nepal.
Cybercash Technology of China was showing its latest games and gaming and management systems at G2E Asia.
The company has been in the industry for over four years now and is doing business in Macau, other parts of south-east Asia, and South America.
Of the show, the company’s Eric Liu said: "All the professional people are here. This is our second time here and this year we have more stand space. We have a lot of new games on show and are hoping for a good reaction, as gaming in Asia is booming."
International Games System of Taiwan is a company that has recently turned its attention to Macau.
Now with 21 years in the business the company, which has 600 employees, designs software for games. It has two separate departments - one for gaming and one for amusements - and RGB is its agent in south-east Asia.
"We are just beginning to do business in Macau," said sales manager Nicole Kao. "And we are now going for GLI approval - testing will begin next year. We are doing good business in South America in both the street markets and casinos. We also do well in the US and Europe, especially Italy, where last year we were the number one supplier of AWPs. We have been working there for 13 years and so know the market very well."
The company only sells to one or two customers in each country. All the games shown on the stand in Macau were available from January. "One of them, Texas Hold ‘Em Elite, is unique," said Kao. "It is already selling well in Europe, Africa and South America. Only very few people can design this kind of game. We showed it at ICE and it has done very well since then. Our minimum target for sales of this machine over the next two years is 3,000."
Austrian giant Novomatic was sharing a stand with its Asian distributor, Independent Gaming of Australia.
"The show is a lot better than it has been in previous years due to the move to the Venetian," said the company’s director of communications, David Orrick. Novomatic was using its Super V Gaminator machines to introduce the concept of multigames to the Asian region.
"The reaction from casino operators here has been extremely positive," said Orrick. "A lot of operators in Asia, especially here in Macau, are restricted by the amount of floor space they have available. For them, multigames are an ideal solution.
"There has been lots of interest and we are upbeat about the future in this region. There are lots of things happening for us out here. We have also noticed that there are moves towards higher levels of regulation, which we very much welcome."
A team of Novomatic research and development personnel also made the trip out to the show in Macau to learn about the market place.
The world’s largest gaming machine manufacturer, IGT, readily admits that it was late arriving in the Asian market, but it appears to be making up for lost time.
The company’s Raoul Bouchot told InterGaming: "We still have a lot to learn, but we are learning quickly. This is still very much a table games driven market, but we are trying to educate the player."
The company launched several Asian-themed games at the show and also a range of table games with electronic formats. "The electronic table games are a good way of expanding our presence in this table market," said Bouchot.
"We feel that slot machines will make gains in the market place but there is little doubt that live gaming will remain more prominent overall. Bearing this in mind we are aiming slots with table gaming themes at the Asian market. In fact, everything on our stand here has some kind of live gaming connotation. We are trying to bridge the gap."
Gaming Partners International has the lion’s share of the chip market in Macau, but the company now regards G2E Asia as a show for the wider region.
"This show is getting so good that we may see a decline in the G2E in Las Vegas as a result," said GPI’s Christophe Leparoux. "The show is good for the region as a whole because some companies cannot afford to send many staff to Las Vegas.
The company was focusing on the security aspects of its chips, with such sophisticated features as holograms. "There is more and more counterfeiting out here, so security is becoming increasingly important," said Leparoux. "This is a real issue and we are helping operators to tackle it.
"We have a new selection of materials for plaques - a lot of operators are now focusing on the VIP market, for which they need plaques. RFID, of course, is becoming increasingly important too. We are now offering both available frequencies with the help of Progressive Gaming International. The RFID market has been slow in progressing and this partnership has helped."
A new casino opening soon in Macau’s Taipa Square will have a large installation of GPI RFID and three different chip systems. "We still have 90 per cent of this market. The people here want quality and service and we can provide both those things because of our speed and flexibility."
GPI was also showing the prototype of a machine that can identify the unique ‘fingerprint’ of each and every trip.
Atronic International spotlighted the Asian version of its Tournamania slot tournament system, Dragonboat, at G2E Asia.
"We have changed the characters and translated it into Chinese, but basically it is the same concept," said the company’s Nadine Levermann. "It has already been installed here at the MGM and the one on the stand is going into the Venetian after the show."
Also on show was a new concept developed specifically for the Asian market, Fishing for Jackpots. In this, the bonus can be triggered in two ways, either by three goldfish symbols appearing on reels one, two and three or through a mystery trigger. Any one of five progressive jackpots can be won with any bet once the bonus round has been triggered.
Also, the Roaring Tiger mystery jackpot was on show with new titles. "We do a lot of research," said Levermann. "We talk to players to find out what they want. In the Asian market it is important to get it 100 per cent right."
On the systems side, Atronic was highlighting Qpon Cash, a ticketing system that was being shown for the first time.
"We are growing here in Asia, adding more customers all the time," said Levermann. "The market is now one of our main focuses."
"This show gets busier and busier every year and this year, of course, it has a much better location," said Royce and Bach’s Matevz Mazij.
The multiplayer gaming machine manufacturer was making its second visit to the Macau show, this time with its Asian partner, Asia Pioneer Entertainment. "We started to do business in Macau last year following our launch at ICE 2007 in London," said Mazij.
"We are now rolling out our products in Macau through APE. They are going into the MGM, the Lisboa and the Venetian and we are working closely with the new casinos on the Cotai Strip. During the rest of this year and 2009 we expect to gain a significant market share."
The company is developing new products and games for the Asian market with the help of APE. "We change our existing products to target specific markets in the region," said Mazij. "Players here like sleek and stylish equipment, advanced game features and interactive playability, while operators like the speed of our games, which means increased revenue."
APE is an independent distributor and also an operator, so it has good operator contacts. "We have found that they know what customers in tis market want," said Mazij.
Octavian’s Helen Hedgeland said the company had had its expectations exceeded by this year’s G2E Asia.
"It has been a really good show - much busier than we thought it would be," she said. "And the quality of the leads we have received is also better than we thought. We have even met with operators from European markets."
Octavian used the show to launch a back-end system available on a participation basis. "This means that an operator can install the system without having to invest in the hardware. They just pay a monthly fee per table and can continue to do so, or can invest in the hardware at a later stage."
The company was also sowing the Maverick machines, a joint venture with Novomatic whereby Octavian’s game content is delivered through Novomatic’s Coolfire platform.
The company recently struck a deal with TableMax, a Las Vegas producer of electronic gaming tables, whereby Octavian distributes TableMax products globally apart from the US and South Africa. "We needed an international partner and Octavian has a presence in many markets around the world," said vice president of sales Ben Parks.
Due to an increase in demand, Japanese casino equipment supplier Matsui, now has an office in Macau.
"We realised that we needed to have constant representation here," said David Holt, managing director of the company’s UK branch. "This has been a very good show. We launched our new RFID system and it has been very well received by operators."
The company also exhibited a new chip management system. "Business is going well and we have been getting large orders," said Holt. "We have just confirmed an order from Sun International for the new casino in Santiago, Chile, for 32,000 chips. Our competitive pricing is enabling us to achieve good market share."
Lyndon Ngo, sales director for Taiwan-based computer board developer iBase, reported "a very good show this year."
He added: "Before it was very small, but this time it’s good." The company’s systems are all custom designed. "It has to be this way because all gaming machine manufacturers have unique requirements and security needs. And we do not just fulfil needs - we also provide solutions."
iBase is not just a subcontractor; it is familiar with all the different regulatory requirements throughout the world. "Our products are designed to fit exactly into OEM cabinets and allow easy access and maintenance."
The company has been under pressure from customers to provide full cabinet assembly as well and it will begin shipping out its cabinet solution this summer. iBase has service centres in the UK, the UK and Asia.
Making its debut at G2E Asia was Huai I Electronics of Taiwan, a manufacturer of games,monitors and parts for the gaming industry.
"We decided to exhibit here in order to meet new customers and this has been the case," said company chief Robert Lin. "We make games for both casinos and street locations and will shortly be introducing a brand new cabinet. This cabinet, which will be available in August, is the result of customers telling us what they require."
Huai I, which already has a small customer base in Macau, has been in the industry for 25 years.
Aristocrat used G2E Asia to launch its new Viridian platform in the Asia Pacific region.
The ‘green’ cabinet (it is all modular and recyclable and features power-saving components) got "really good feedback," according to Asia Pacific marketing director David Punter. Using Aristocrat’s new Gen7 software, it has a dual LCD touchscreen and is fully geared up for server-based gaming.
"SBG commercial trials will be taking place toward the end of the year, which puts us a little ahead of the field," said Punter. "It is something that will need a lot of time and we need to work closely with our customers to make it work."
Another key launch was Fa Fa Fa, an Asian-themed Hyperlink, which was expected to gain approval last month. "We have a 57 per cent market share in Macau and this launch will help us to maintain and grow that figure," said Punter. "We will be supporting it with plenty of content and marketing it in order to educate the players."
He added that the market requires volatile games that are relatively simple. "People are coming here from China having never seen a slot machine before and are taking to them."
Aristocrat is also growing its business in Cambodia, Malaysia and the Philippines. "We are also looking at Taiwan and Korea," added Punter.
Angel Playing Cards of Japan enjoyed a successful G2E Asia on the back of its Macau market share of between 70 and 80 per cent.
"We are also doing very well in other areas of the Asian continent," said company president Yashuti Sigesha. "Asia is mainly a paper card market and mainly baccarat and blackjack. Poker is still a small market, but it is growing slowly."
He also said that it is very much a word-of-mouth market. "Customers know each other and talk about products, so we have found that a lot of them have come to us through recommendation."
Angel will be exhibiting once again at G2E in Las Vegas in November and since last year’s show it has opened an office in the US. "At the moment both Asia and the US are very important markets for us and we are concentrating on them," said Sigesha.
Singapore-based gaming machine developer Weike’s CEO, David Klinsman, thought his company had an advantage at G2E Asia by virtue of the fact that it is Asia-based.
"We are happy with the show - we have had great traffic," he told InterGaming. Ten-year-old Weike, which is Singapore’s only licensed manufacturer of gaming machines, has two large manufacturing plants there.
"Our secret is, we don’t take our clients for granted," said Kinsman. "In fact, they are often the best game developers."
Weike is to enter the Macau market this year and after that it will be looking beyond Asia to markets such as Europe, North America and Australia. "Europe will be significant for us because we are so flexible we can service our clients in ways that others cannot."
All Weike’s slots are already geared up for server-based gaming if that is what the operator requires. "The future of the gaming industry is software, not hardware," said Kinsman.
The company’s electronic poker table has been successful since its launch. "This is because it was designed by poker players. I believe that electronic poker now has the potential to overtake the card game in terms of popularity."
Another company making its G2E Asia debut was Germany-based seating specialist Patir.
"It has been very good for us," said general manager Seref Patir. "We are now targeting the Asian market and we are sure that this show will bring good results for us. We have had a lot of interest from the operators of the big casinos here in Macau."
The company brought its whole range of chairs to the exhibition, including several new products.
So successful was G2E Asia for PactGames, the games division of Pacificnet, that the company sold most of the machines on its large stand.
"We have seen customers from all over Asia," said chairman and CEO Tony Tong. The Chinese company produces both slot machines and multiplayers and among its main customers are PAGCOR and Galaxy. It also produces AWPs and recent dispatched 5,000 units to Italy, with a further 10 to 20,000 to follow.
Pacificnet has just signed an agreement with Octavian whereby Pacificnet helps out Octavian in Asia in return for exposure in Europe and South America.
"In Asia there are big opportunities for our multiplayers, especially baccarat," said Tong. Social games go down very well in Asia. Also, we are producing lottery terminals for China and we think there is a good chance that bingo will be legalised, which would also be good for us."
