Most exhibitors were unhappy with the exhibition’s multiple floors, and some cited the simultaneous conference programme as a problem, as it made traffic less steady and more sporadic.

These are fairly minor criticisms and Reed has the experience to deal with these gripes in plenty of time for next year’s show at the Venetian. The exhibitors were many and varied, and most had corrected the past oversights. Certainly, most of the slot exhibitors had arrived with product tailor-made for the Asian market, with Chinese characters and buttons, along with Asian-influenced designs. These touches should help open up Macau and other countries more as slot-playing markets; time will tell.

Interblock’s stand was dominated by an 24-station Queen Theatre electro-mechanical Roulette, which impressed with its simplicity of design, its clean lines and understated elegance. The company has apparently had the same spot in the show for three consecutive years, and they regard it as an important part of their international plans.

Interblock’s penetration into Asia is extremely impressive, and is partly the result, according to CEO Tomaz Zvipelj, of labour issues. He explained: “We see the Asian market has huge potential, and we are very happy with the way the market is going, which is in the direction of automated products. This is partly because of problems some casinos have had with labour. Even today, without the big projects even starting there is a significant labour shortage in Macau, which makes our automated products even more attractive.”

Indeed it does, with Interblock enjoying an installed base of over 170 machines in Macau alone, accounting for 80 per cent of the market for multi-terminal products. Sixty per cent of that is the company’s excellent Sic Bo game, proof that western know-how married with respect for Chinese gaming traditions can really reap rewards.

The company’s Regional Sales Manager – Asia, Michael Hu, knows why they have enjoyed such success in Vietnam, Cambodia, Macau, Malaysia and growth in the Philippiines: quality. He said: “The main reason for our success in Asia is the quality of the product; that’s the main thing. The last four years, while we have been present in Asia, we have only had two technicians to do the maintenance on the ground, which clearly proves the products’ superior technical reliability. Most of the issues that do arise, we can take care of by phone or email, we’ve found.

“Stability is important to our customers; if the machine is down for two minutes, our customers are losing money. We bring that 24/7 operation in reality.

“Also, the machines have the ability to make money. We can make their cash boxes full all the time! Eighteen hours out of 24, our machines will be full of customers, which equals money for the casino.”

Interblock’s success continues to grow; in the new Venetian Casino, they have 33 machines installed already; that number is set to grow and could rise to 100 in the next 12 months.

Atronic’s stand was dominated by multi-level progressives and linked gaming solutions. The result was undoubtedly impressive, with strong licenses like King Kong Cash and Deal Or No Deal alongside the sumptuous The Game Of Life.

Perhaps most interesting was their attention to detail for the Asian market. Most of the games on the stand featured not only Chinese language characters and buttons, they also had Chinese audio featured. As Atronic’s Sylvia Dietz explains: “We’ve now introduced spoken Chinese language features for many of our games. It complements the Chinese language on screen and on the buttons and all the player messages are now audible during the game.”

“In the Macau market, not that many players speak English, so we want to make it as easy as possible for them to understand our games. We’ve introduced that for our linked gaming concepts as well as for stand-alone games.”

One of the stand-outs was the multi-level Mystery Link Roaring Tiger, one of their products designed specifically for Asia. With a traditional Chinese theme, the four progressive levels are represented by wood, water, metal and fire while the fifth element, earth, is shown in the background of the link.

It was introduced at G2E Asia for the first time, and should be a resounding success for Atronic. It looks great, sounds superb and players should respond to the Chinese theme and artwork. Roaring Tiger is available for all games from the extensive library of Harmony titles including X-Tension games. X-Tension games feature 50 lines of play with a screen layout of 5 x 4 symbols (5 reels, 4 symbols per reel, providing more fun, more excitement and more chances to win.

Also new for the company in Macau was their Harmony slant-top model, a handsome and compact slot cabinet which has seen success in other markets.

DigiDeal had an excellent G2E Asia, though their stand seemed to be situated in the Macau Tower’s only warm spot. This will be one of their last international shows as a solo exhibitor after their tie-in with IGT, but when the two companies combine, they will add strength to each other. DigiDeal will benefit from IGT’s marketing, muscle and know-how, while IGT get some excellent new product.

The company has really embraced local culture in an effort to integrate into Macau and the rest of Asia’s gaming world. The three games on show were Taraccab, DragonBacc and Buddha’s Fortune.

DragonBacc is already installed in Cambodia; it’s a card game based on Baccarat with card curls and player/banker reveals. On DigiDeal’s electronic table system, this game equals profits in Asia, it’s that simple.

Taraccab uses a Mahjongg-styled Dragon Deck and is played like face-up Baccarat but the winning hand is determined by the best match of the best cards. Combining two of Asia’s favourite games, Taraccab looks set to be a huge hit – and of course, on DigiDeal’s platform you can deal more games per hour, so it should be a huge hit with players too.

Buddha’s Fortune combines a slot principle with traditional table games. Players can double down on their original bet as well as buy a Bonus Card in order to win big with the best three-of-a-kind match.

GPI had a new collection of Bourgogne & Grasset chips on show, but the star of their stand was the Electronic Chips Surveillance system [ECS]. Christophe Leparoux explains: “This is the first time it’s been shown. It’s like a metal detector which uses low frequency RFID technology. People that have invested in the low frequency RFID chips can use this system to prevent staff from stealing chips from the gaming area, using it in the same way as a metal detector might be implemented. It’s a big problem in some areas, so it’s attracted a lot of attention here.”

The show was apparently a good one for the chip and plaque giants, as they also showed their RFID mini table-top authenticator. Christophe added: “It’s been a very good show. The first day was very very busy, with all the operators from Macau here and from much further afield as well, the Philippines, India, Cambodia. There are many decision makers here, so it’s a good show to be at.”

MEI showed their excellent SC83 note acceptor on their stand and apparently, had a good show. Regional Director, Asia Pacific Graeme Lewis said: “We’ve had an excellent show. It’s our fourth consecutively and each year it’s changed dramatically. There’s been a lot of support for the industry and we’ve notched a few runs on the board ourselves this year.”

But like many exhibitors, he had words to say about the multiple levels in Macau Tower: “I think next year will be a great improvement when the show is on one floor, I’m not keen on the multi-level format here.”

The focus of TCSJOHNHUXLEY’s stand was two exciting products. First, they were showing their Super Sic Bo table with its Super Streak side bet option. This is a high-definition 55” LCD playing screen. Sic Bo is of course hugely popular in Asia, and this is a highly efficient way to play the game; more games means more bets, which means more profit. It’s also a great looking setup, with clear graphics, solid colours and sexy design. The Super Streak side bet adds spice, of course, and gives players more reasons to play; it’s based on the results over a number of games, but as the process is automated, it won’t slow play down at all.

The other thing TCS focussed on is their RFID solution, which it has to be said looks fantastic. They say their EurasiaTrak RFID eliminates counterfeiting, employee theft and dealer collusion. It’s certainly a powerful system, highly functional and can track chips in play at a resolution of less than half an inch. Sadly, we don’t have the space to go into this system now, but rest assured we’ll delve into it in a forthcoming issue. It’s too good to miss.

Novomatic did not exhibit at G2E Asia, but Jens Halle attended as the company have just tied up an alliance with Australian innovators Independent Gaming. The deal means, as Jens elaborated: “They [Independent] will be a non-exclusive distributor for our products in the Asian market, and we are the European distributor for their Flexi-Link products. It’s a real win-win situation.

“Flexi-Link is a four-level jackpot, which is something we’ve never introduced as a company. We love their artwork and technology, that’s why we chose them. It’s also good for us as a company to have a partner down here, TCS has exclusive rights to sell the multi-player station products for Novomatic, now we can also sell the slots.”

Shuffle Master exhibited with Stargames, their Australian ‘arm’, and boasted a formidable array of product. They included Vegas Star (with Sling Shot Roulette), a multiplayer table game with an animated dealer with a live ball and wheel. The smart part of the game is that the player stations offer Chinese, Simplified Chinese and English text, plus optional Cantonese or Mandarin voice-overs.

Of certain interest to Macau operators is their Table iD Baccarat, a Baccarat table management system which combines the iShoe card reading shoe and state-of-the-art image recognition technology. It also increases Baccarat game security and minimises card switching and dealing errors by reading the rank and suit of each card being dealt and interfaces with an attractive display to post the outcome of each round.

Aristocrat, a company which enjoys an incredible 50 per cent approximate market share of Macau’s slot business, enjoyed a busy show as expected. The company recognised fairly early on that its linked gaming systems might succeed in this market, and that has been the case, with Loco Loot and Golden Goals enjoying successful installations at Crown Macau, and Jackpot Deluxe recently becoming available to the area. But they are not resting on their laurels, as David Punter, Director of Marketing for Asia Pacific, explains: “Last year, the visitations to Macau went up to 20m from 12m, but they’re only staying for an average of 1.2 days. They don’t really stay here; they want an experience and they want it to be a life-changing experience. They want some luck on the machines, and we offer high levels on the jackpots. We just started with some new machines with a $10 credit bet, and a 2,500 option on them, so the max bet on the machine could be $25000HK, so that caters for the high-end players.

“A lot of the table players like to bet big, but the slots here are often seen as entertainment because you can only bet so much on the machines. Now we’ve taken it to different denominations and big bets, there’s a couple of casinos that have done some massive numbers, like $30,000US per day, per machine, net. That’s just phenomenal. It might be only one or two machines hitting those numbers, but that’s all you need.”

Aristocrat has also introduced some product specifically for Asia, in Spring Festival and Monkey Challenge, to help it stay top of a growing and very competitive group of companies.

Also, the company is hoping to introduce Poker to Macau in the form of their superb PokerPro table, which is currently awaiting approval. If electronic poker takes off in this market, the sky is the limit for Aristocrat.

Of course, Bally will be challenging all the way for the slot market in Asia. They are another company that has taken the time to tailor its product to the market, and are already seeing results from that. Their renowned Hot Shot Progressive is making some headway in the region, according to Marcus Prater: “We’re showing some video product specifically for this market. After a couple of years of game development time, it’s finally paying off. We just installed a Hot Shot progressive at Wynn Macau, which is doing very well. It’s been followed up by Hot Shot installations at Sands and Grand Lisboa. For Bally, it’s small steps toward product success on the games side.”

Of course, Bally is about far more than slots, and the systems side of the business is equally important. Marcus added: “On the systems side, the Sands Macau and the Venetian Macau are systems customers and we’re here also to support the Sands group from that standpoint.”

Videobet has product that should certainly appeal to Macau. The server-based gaming specialists had a suite of up to 60 games on show, but most appealing was their live Roulette offering. Matt Phiilips, Asian Sales, elaborates: “We’re showing a direct feed from the Philippines, with a live dealer and live Roulette. It goes down very well in Asia, because players here don’t seem to really trust an electronic random number generator. They like to see live games, a live wheel, so this is very popular.

“They also like high volatility games in Asian countries, they’re not so fussed about the entertainment factor, and we can tailor everything we make for whatever market it’s aimed at.” You’ll be reading more about Videobet in our September issue.

WMS were fighting for increased market share too after opening an office in Macau recently, and had some of their impressive array of new product on show. Most attention-grabbing was their excellent Top Gun video slot. It’s a great looking machine, and plays like a hybrid arcade/slot. It’s a great experience, and with speakers installed in the seat it’s exceptionally absorbing. You’ll be reading a lot more about WMS product in a forthcoming edition of Casino International.

Star of Octavian’s brilliantly-placed stand – it was right in front of the escalators on the top floor of the exhibition – was their Tikit+ TITO solution. It’s a simple but excellent idea, and enables TITO functionality to be added to most non-compatible slot machines. The machines apparently need to be part of an Octavian system running EPS 2.0 with AssistSuite. Eric Dias, Octavian’s Business Development Manager for Asia, explains more: “The main feature of this system is that you can show it on any machine, old or new. You don’t have to have the proprietary software from the manufacturer, it can be used on any machine which uses a standard protocol.

“Australia is a big market we’re looking at for this at the moment, and there’s plenty of interest in Asia too. Along with our card-based gaming system, we’re also looking at larger venues. Latin America is also going to be an important market for this product.”

Andrew Cammegh was proudly showing Cammegh’s roulette wheels to the Asian market from the RGB stand, which was one of the show’s busiest areas. They had a Mercury wheel running and the automated Slingshot II for customers to admire, and a remote terminal which the user could select which wheel to play from via the company’s EyeBall camera, sitting above each wheel.

Andrew was particularly pleased with an installation of wheels in the Crown Macau. He said: “What they [Crown Macau] wanted to do is to create the finest gaming area in Macau, and they wanted the best wheels. We provided them with 10 Mercury wheels, with Indian rosewood veneer, solid brass cones with a French four-spoke capstan and they look magnificent in Crown’s custom-built tables. In that installation they’re linked to a Paltronics display running off our in-rim sensors.”

As for this show, it was a success, he said. “We’ve had fantastic interest here in the Billboard and the EyeBall.

“The show itself has been very productive, and we’ve had a lot of enquiries, and an order for 15 Cammegh Classics from a major casino.” An excellent week for Cammegh then!

IGT had a typically strong presence at the show, and an exciting selection of product. With their visually arresting toppers and signage (from Signs4U), it’s fair to say their product will always get attention, no matter what market it’s presented to. It will be very interesting to see how Three Kingdom Wars does in the Asian market, as it has striking Asian themes running right through the game. Descended from the company’s collaboration with Sega, it might be too arcade-like for the hardened Macau gambler; on the other hand, it plays beautifully and the bonus games hardly interfere with the core of the product, gambling. It might be the perfect balance between East and West and as such, will find its own niche in Macau and other Asian territories.

Alfastreet presented their striking and classic-looking R8 Roulette, also on the RGB stand, as they act as Alfastreet’s partner and distributor in the area. It’s a fine addition to their impressive automated Roulette canon. It is apparently part of the company’s ‘Alfa Solution’ concept, where an operator can add more stations to their standard eight-player configuration, with up to 24 possible to one wheel.

Abbiati were another company on RGB’s popular stand, and had their exciting new RFID product, in association with PGI, to promote. Terry Clarke was at the forefront, and he took time to explain the way the company is taking it forward: “Customers are all very interested and are asking us for samples now. We’ve been slow in introducing this product because we want to make sure we do it correctly and make sure we have the quality. Otherwise, one bad tag in a batch could ruin a reputation. So even though we’ve had the technology for six months, we’ve spent that time making sure our processes and our setup, the way we install it, is correct. Now we’re ready to let it out into the market.”

Royce & Bach turned a few heads with their extremely attractive Archipelago automated Roulette. We can’t give much away about the product here, but we’ll be writing more on this soon.

There were many more companies in attendance and everyone had their big guns out, hoping to grow their share of this expanding market.

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