Casino Enterprise Management

Coming off news that Macau is the No. 1 spot for gambling in the world, and with Singapore likely to grab second place soon, there’s no denying that Asia-Pacific is where it’s at. Las Vegas and much of the U.S. continue to struggle with visitation, room rates, high unemployment and a fickle economy, but to the East, it’s just the opposite for the gaming industry.

With G2E Asia on our heels and an overabundance of recent headlines declaring the successes of the Asian gaming markets, CEM takes this time to recognize some of the top slot manufacturers’ thoughts and practices on the market in Asia-Pacific. Below is the lineup of which manufacturers weighed in, each having been asked to respond to their engagement in the Asian gaming market. They talk about how the market influences sales and marketing directives, which regions are most significant to them and what their long-term expectations are there. Here’s what they all had to say.

Aristocrat Technologies
David Punter
General Manager Asia Pacific

Aristocrat has long considered Asia to be an integral part of our international gaming business.

With a very strong foundation throughout the Asia region, including the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Korea, as well as the constantly evolving Macau market, Aristocrat Asia is very confident that as a business, we will develop greater gaming opportunities through continued engagement with experienced local operators, as well as developing a dedicated and compelling suite of Asian-themed gaming products that has regional relevance and caters to local player tastes.

Aristocrat Asia continues to grow market share across all the Asia regions where we currently operate. Our products occupy the majority of floor space in many major casino venues across Asia, and that amount is growing year on year.

Aristocrat Asia is committed to continuous customer and player lead engagement, as well as innovation and strong product performance that maintains our market-leading position in Asia. Aristocrat Asia also understands that the Asian market is increasingly competitive, and there is little room for complacency.

For Aristocrat Asia, the games delivered to the Asian market have been regionally focused and heavily Asian themed with very strong maths bases, for example FA FAFA™ and Yellow Dragon™. Aristocrat Asia has also customized games with appropriate language and features that are relevant to the Asia market such as Choy Sun Doa™, 5 Dragons™, 50 Dragons™, 50 Lions™ and 100 Dragons™, and more recently Dragon Empire™.

Aristocrat is very fortunate in that as an Australia-based organization, we are very close to the Asia-Pacific ring. A majority of our competitors bring their products from overseas markets, such as the U.S. and other jurisdictions. Our competitors operate in a very different environment and produce high entertainment products, with no genuine high reward or volatility,  that Asian players like to play and operators “must have” on their gaming room floors.

Aristocrat Asia is committed to being the best gaming provider in the Asian marketplace by ensuring, “We create Asia’s greatest gaming experience, every day.” Our challenge is to continue to build net win-per-day and provide our players with strong Asian content, as well as interactivity with our games to ensure greater play times.

Aristocrat Asia games are developed with all the Asia regions we operate in mind. It is imperative to have the correct product strategy and product mix that complements each of the Aristocrat Asia regional strategies.

Aristocrat Asia is very conscious of the need to appeal to local player tastes and meet the needs of local operators in each of the Asia markets we operate in. Whether we’re talking about Aristocrat’s business in Macau or Japan, this is a critical element in our strategy that will be integral to our success in the future.

Aristocrat Asia will continue to engage with our operators, to understand their respective markets and absorb these insights, and to transition them into market-leading products. We often bring game designers and engineers to Macau and other Asian regions, including a number of employees with Chinese cultural and language skills. We will continue to ensure all parts of the business, including the critical product development process, are as informed and engaged as possible around the needs of the ever-changing and growing Asian market.

The Asian region is in a growth phase with tremendous potential for the Aristocrat Asia business, and Aristocrat Asia approaches Asia strategically, sensitively and on the basis of genuine relationships and insights. A one-size-fits-all approach to Asia will simply not work, as Asia is a complex and diverse region. Aristocrat Asia is committed to continual operator and player engagement, to develop highly Asian themed, very strong performing link and stand-alone gaming products, and we are very excited about the future challenges and opportunities that the constantly growing and changing Asian market presents now and in the future.

Bally Technologies
Cath Burns
Vice President and Managing Director – Asia-Pacific

Bally Technologies will introduce successful and innovative products, including the Pro Series™ family of cabinets and the high-tech iDeck™, to the Asia-Pacific audience at G2E Asia, showing we are committed to taking these award-winning games and solutions around the globe.

We expect the Asia-Pacific market to provide growth opportunities in games and systems. We’ll continue to update and release innovative systems products in the market, especially in Macau, Australia and Southeastern Asian markets like Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines.

The more significant growth opportunity in the region I oversee for Bally comes in Australia. Bally is poised to re-enter the Australian market in a big way, making waves quickly with our array of exciting games. Currently, there are about 200,000 licensed games in Australia. Bally will enter New South Wales first, before expanding to Queensland and Victoria.

Bally is on track to begin selling games to Australian customers soon. It’s a thrilling time and we cannot wait to develop partnerships and show my home country the newest and most advanced games from our impressive lineup.

It will also be key that Bally continues offering unique games appealing to our loyal Asian customers. The Golden Empire Mystery Progressive™ will debut at G2E Asia. Mystery progressive slots have become extremely popular in Asia, and we’re happy to be at the forefront of that trend.

The Asian-themed and locally created Golden Empire takes players on a rich and vibrant trip to an ancient land filled with the possibility of lavish riches and rewards. Players can win one of the three or four randomly triggered progressive jackpots, depending on operator’s configurations. The Golden Empire Link over stand-alone video slot machines allows jackpots to be triggered randomly in any game play.

Also at the Bally booth, customers will get to see the new Pro Series V32 and Pro Curve, the two latest members of the Pro Series family of cabinets.

Featuring a first-of-its-kind 22-inch “curved” LCD, the Pro Curve offers players the look and feel of a traditional reel-spinning slot with the modern convenience and technology of video.

Bally’s next-generation gaming cabinet takes display and player-interface technology to the next level with the iDeck and a touch-screen display over the curved LCD that enables play mechanics such as U-Spin™. The Pro Curve supports 3-reel, 4-reel or 5-reel game configurations and theme selection on demand.

And the sleek, trim and modern Pro Series™ V32 cabinet has been re-imagined from the ground up based on extensive operator feedback. The Pro V32 sets a new benchmark of unrivaled player comfort, interaction and control, and includes a brilliant 32-inch vertical HD video touch-enabled display, custom surround sound, lighting synchronized to game play and easy serviceability.

The iDeck itself will also be on display. The touchscreen button deck was one of the winners in Casino Enterprise Management’s 2011 Slot Floor Technology Awards.

IGT Asia
John Gomes
Managing Director

IGT is a global company, which provides us with one of the largest research and development budgets to invest in the best games, machines and systems. But every market is different, in terms of regulations and player preferences, so we invest a significant amount of time and resources in focusing this global strength locally, with in-market teams in the key gaming centers in Asia. This means that we ensure that when it comes to local preferences for things like game volatility, language preferences and local themes, these are fed into our global game design process to ensure we have product that suits local Asian market needs.

As far as what regions are the most significant to our business, just like in all industries, the bigger markets tend to lead the way. Of course, Macau remains a global focus for us, but we are also investing significantly in key markets such as the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and South Korea.

Each market in Asia is quite different, so we have to maintain a local focus on each country and customer that we work with to correctly meet their gaming preferences. The main areas that present themselves include the need for local game translations, the demand for strong Asian themes and a need for a wide range of high volatility games as playing styles are different across Asia in comparison to other countries such as the U.S.

For our long-term expectations, IGT sees the Asian markets as key global growth areas and have a long-term outlook in partnering with our customers to deliver the most innovative gaming concepts available. Additionally, we have a strong systems offering that delivers financial and accounting efficiency, service excellence and powerful marketing and loyalty solutions for new revenue growth possibilities for casino properties. Our diverse product offering means that we see good growth potential for us, and our customers, as the market grows and matures.

Incredible Technologies
Andy Kniaz
VP of Business Development

Incredible Technologies is one of the newest gaming manufacturers looking to Asia as a route to grow our business. We started evaluating the region four years ago, and in that span of time, we have watched with great interest as new markets have come into existence and established markets have started to diversify. We eventually committed to Macau as an entry point because it’s the right place, at what we believe is the right time. While VIP table gaming is the vast breadwinner in Macau, the exponential growth of slot machines over the past few years can be linked to a high population density, a growing middle class and a maturing gaming market. As Macau makes an effort to develop its MICE and family tourism segments, new customers will arrive, casinos will continue to transform and entertainment offerings will proliferate. Under these market conditions, slot machines in Macau should continue to benefit and thrive.

Once we decided to dedicate our efforts to Macau, it was of utmost importance to understand our casino customer and the evolving needs of the local slot player. We eventually came to the conclusion that it would not be enough to simply import our North American themes; instead, we would need to do our best to cater to Macau’s specific gambling culture. To seek out success, we decided to find a knowledgeable, local partner. This partner would add some cultural insight, and within the territory, they would operate as our day-to-day sales and service organization. Eventually, we cultivated a relationship with Asia Pioneer Entertainment; not only were we impressed with their grasp of the market, but their business acumen and dedication to customer service mirrored our own.

Today, we are priming Macau for the latest generation of Incredible Technologies’ Magic Touch product line. If we are successful, by the end of the year, our localized casino products will have generated profits and set the stage for future expansion. Moving forward, our immediate goal is to solidify our presence in Macau. As we continue to look East, Incredible Technologies is positioned to adapt to the evolving demands of the distinct micro-markets that make up Asia. Each individual gaming jurisdiction, as well as the customers within those territories, will have their own unique needs, and Incredible Technologies must rise to exceed those requirements.

Konami Gaming
Jeremy Alchin
Marketing Manager, Konami Australia

Konami Australia is based in Sydney and distributes to Australia, New Zealand, Asia and Africa. Historically, we have found there are distinct similarities in product performance in regions of Australia and Asia. For this reason, we focus sales and marketing efforts on those games that are identified as performing in both identified locations. These jurisdictions serve as a great testing ground for quality gaming product throughout our entire network.

Over the past five years, machine installations in the Australian market have contracted. During that time, Asia has significantly expanded. We look at these expanding markets for future company growth.

Konami has a huge market share in the Philippines. Whilst we look to maintain and increase our presence, we are placing emphasis on building our profile in Macau. When entering Macau initially, we didn’t do our homework and found game performance was an issue. We have since launched a new video cabinet, Podium, which is a sleek, ergonomic cabinet that takes advantage of 360 degrees with color changing LEDs. The new suite of games launched with Podium are performing particularly strong.

We have also ported some high-performing U.S. Advantage 5 stepper products that are targeted toward the traditional casino player. On display at G2E Asia, Advantage 5 will feature the latest theme Rock Around the Clock games, which use the well-known song from Bill Haley and the Comet’s 1954 recoding.

Due to regulations, the Asia market is open to entry and is very competitive. The leading manufacturers from Australia, the U.S., Europe and others from Asia are all competing and offering different styles of product. To compete in this market, it’s necessary to offer a product that is the complete package—cabinet, math model, graphic, sounds, language and bet configuration.

Bet configurations can be tricky when crossing Asian jurisdictions as currencies change. For instance, Konami launched a very successful line of Multi-Line (100 line) games in Australia with 1 credit plays 2 lines. When looking at introducing this style of product into the Philippine market, we found that the minimum bet to cover all lines was too high and unacceptable for the player. These types of fundamental errors can result in poor sales and performance.     

Ultimately, Konami is trying to achieve the recognition and status that it currently experiences in the U.S. market, in Asia. We have an incredible breadth of product that is continually advancing in technology as further synergies are realized between one of Konami’s largest business units, Konami Digital Entertainment in Japan, and the gaming division. Konami’s expansion into Asia is only just commencing. It’s a long-term project that is being well thought out and deployed methodically. 

WMS Gaming
Candace Lucas
Executive Director, Marketing

As WMS prepares to Unleash Imagination™ with the debut of a broad portfolio of new products and easy-to-adopt innovations at G2E Asia, we are excited to take a minute to reflect on how the company is working with operators in the Asian gaming market.

WMS is focused on striking a strong balance between helping customers maximize their current slot performance today, while creating new revenue streams in the years ahead. We do this by listening to operators on their current challenges and by creating “must play” gaming. WMS works with our casino customers to develop solutions that work best for them to help maximize their slot floor success. From Vietnam to Singapore to Macau, each country has a unique player demographic, and each operator is looking for unique gaming experiences to position their casino floor differently from their competitors. What works in Macau doesn’t necessarily work in Japan.

In younger gaming markets like the Philippines, operators are finding success with our Innovation Series products such as WMS’ Cascading Reels™ and Spinning Streak™ themes, which create heightened “celebrate the win” experiences for players. The newest addition to the popular Innovation Series, our Reel Boost™ category, features a distinctive 6-reel configuration with the added benefit of increased prizes, a flipped-reel mechanic for bonus rounds and a 2-level mystery progressive. In Macau and other mature markets, where operators appear to be responding to changing demographics and hope to attract more casual players, WMS’ Sensory Immersion Gaming products and premium titles deliver engaging and interactive experiences for today’s player.

Across the continent, the success of our Community Gaming™ and Sensory Immersion products and progressive slots is unmistakable. Players in the Asia gaming market typically enjoy mystery-driven jackpots and multi-level progressives, which is why WMS is excited to introduce our innovative Ultra Hit Progressive™ (UHP) Networked Gaming Portal family and other components of our WAGE-NET™ platform technology at this year’s G2E Asia.

Debuting in the Asian gaming market at G2E Asia, portal game enablement technology will leverage the flexibility of networked gaming functionality designed to extend the life cycle of base game themes by adding new entertainment experiences to slot machines on the floor. Unlike standard mystery progressives, UHP adds a secondary mystery progressive bonus experience on top of WMS base games that highlights imminent jackpots on the base game screen, the top screen, as well as on strategically located signage. As coin-in increases and the progressive triggers are approached, robust visuals are displayed and ambient sounds are amplified to celebrate the big win. To provide Asian operators with maximum flexibility, UHP is available as a bank-level solution to allow for easy implementation.

WMS is excited about the future of the Asian gaming market. Operators from Vietnam to Singapore to Macau are eager to adopt innovative technologies that aim to deliver exciting gaming experiences and content for players and improved returns for casino and gaming hall customers. WMS is proud to be a trusted supplier as we strive to help them reach their business goals.

G2E Asia is a registered trademark of the American Gaming Association and Reed Elsevier Inc. Used with permission.