Our sixth interview in the series is with Abbiati Casino Equipment CEO Giorgio Abbiati
How important is the Asian market to your company currently and how big a part of its future strategy does it represent?
Everyone will agree that the Asian market, and especially Macau, is the area experiencing the biggest expansion and it will definitely continue to be as such in the coming years.
Abbiati has been in the gaming business for over 30 years. From a small family-run business initially it has grown a lot in the past few years, always keeping the level of quality and dedication to the products. This has brought Abbiati success in many markets like Europe, Africa and South and North Americas, so now we are moving to the next step, showing Asian customers our high quality products.
Receiving very important orders from the Venetian Macao for gaming chips, from Marina Bay Sands for some high end tables and from customers in the Philippines for our equipment, has certainly helped to highlight Abbiati as one of the top quality suppliers.
Abbiati has a lot of opportunities to grow in Asia. The markets there are looking for alternatives, especially speaking about the security of products, such as chips and plaques and, if you can provide good alternative options to those that already exist on the market, then you have good opportunities to do business.
Which of your company's products are proving successful in the region and how are they tailored to the market?
We are aware that there are lots of local suppliers for live gaming equipment in Asia but when operators look for high-end tables for their VIP rooms they know that we can provide them with the best quality that can be found.
Our company was always very successful in the Asian market with our chips and plaques. Asian operators are always looking for new alternative security features to make sure they get the best anti-counterfeiting product and Abbiati is well known for its innovative materials and continuous research of new security features.
Which jurisdictions are particularly buoyant at the moment ad which do you anticipate being future hotspots?
Macau, Singapore, Philippines and Korea with Japan and other countries to follow, which are making their decision to legalise casinos in the near future.
Why is it important for your company to exhibit at G2E Macau?
G2E Macau is one of the most important exhibitions in the casino industry and the most important in the Asian region. Abbiati has been present at this show for a number of years, introducing visitors to its prestigious products, materials and work processes, and also this year the exhibition visitors will have an opportunity to see us.
G2E Asia is definitely a perfect place to personally meet our clients and to discuss new and existing business and look for potential new collaborations.
What can we expect from your company at the show?
This year we will present our most recent prestigious products and state of the art technology. Exhibition visitors will have a possibility to see a number of our tables, such as baccarat and American roulette, along with a selection of different winning number displays, a range of our layout samples and a brand new line of chips and plaques with implemented new security features. As per continuous requests for RFID solutions, this time we will exhibit RFID technology along with a complete line of dedicated American chips and plaques with incorporated 13.56 MHz PJM RFID.
Finally, Asia's gaming markets are predicted to see enormous growth over the next few year - what factors will this depend on?
The Asian economy is very strong and shows no sign of weakening over the next few years, so the expectation is that it will grow in line with what we have seen in the last few years.
