In the third of our series of interviews with key gaming executives ahead of this month's G2E Asia show, InterGaming speaks to Andrew Hely, IGT's vice president of Asia Pacific.
How important is the Asian market to IGT currently and how big a part of its future strategy does it represent?
The Asian market is the fastest growing gaming market in the world, with multiple developments not just in Macau but in the Philippines and other regions, many of which have indicated they want to have 10 per cent of the global gaming market in the next five to 10 years. There is also a warm reception in Taiwan and Japan due to the countries opening up their markets to gaming.
We have taken steps to tapping these markets by conducting the most extensive player preferences surveys ever in the Asian markets to better understand the wants and needs of operators and players. We are committed to bringing value to operators in these markets with our thrilling games and industry-leading systems products.
Which of your company's products are proving successful in the region and how are they tailored to the market?
IGT believes that ‘tailoring’ a game is not just about having colours and themes that players feel are luckier than other games, it is about developing the math models that players enjoy, particularly the more volatile models that the VIP players prefer. We have games such as Golden Goddess and Dangerous Beauty that perform globally and are doing very well in Macau and other Asian markets. However, IGT also specially designed market-attuned games for the Asian operators and players that we will showcase at G2E Asia. This year, our booth at G2E Asia will have more than 80 per cent of the games that are content attuned for the Asian markets.
Which jurisdictions are particularly buoyant at the moment and which do you anticipate being future hotspots?
All legalised Asian jurisdictions are growing tremendously. However, Macau and the Philippines are very buoyant. Macau has the opening of Cotai Central in April, whereas the Philippines plan to open four new casinos in its new Entertainment City project throughout the next few years. We also see Vietnam as a future hotspot.
Why is it important for IGT to exhibit at G2E Macau?
This year G2E Asia continues to remain a key event for IGT because of its unique opportunity to demonstrate IGT’s commitment to these important markets and allow us the chance to introduce our exciting games and solutions for the Asian markets.
What can we expect from your company at the show?
IGT will showcase an exciting new look featuring market-attuned games, pop-culture themes and systems solutions, many designed with Asian markets in mind. We will unveil not just universal player favourites such as Godzilla on Monster Island video slots and Sex and the City themes but also our exclusive market-attuned games designed specifically for the Asian markets, such as Azure Dragon, Eastern Gems and West Journey Treasure Hunt.
Finally, Asia's gaming markets are predicted to see enormous growth over the next few years - what factors will this depend on?
These things are unpredictable, but growth in the Asian gaming industry could be affected by changes in government policies. If there is economic volatility on a global level that may impact market growth; however, this may be countered by the increasing number of Asians with growing amounts of disposable income. In addition, if places like China decide to impose restrictions on travel, it could reduce some of the meteoric growth that we’ve seen in the gaming markets.
