But not all of the exhibitors were happy. Many of them questioned the quality of the visitors, as many seemed to be players or staff, rather than key decision makers; other questioned the reach of the show, suggesting that Reed might improve on a good first year in the new venue by making it a truly pan-Asia show and seducing visitors from markets further afield, but still very much in Asia.

On the whole though, the organisation was great, the venue superb and most people went away perfectly happy.

For companies entering into the Asian market, G2E Asia can be a great learning tool. Unicum Gaming, a company with firm roots in Russia which has extended its reach into Africa and Latin America with some success, had a mixed show but took away from it many positives. They pledged to come back next year older and wiser, having learned a few lessons at The Venetian.

CEO Lyubov Loginova spoke frankly about the company's showing, explaining: "Our products here are different; the themes we have brought here are perhaps not ideally suited to this market. We thought that the Asian market might be tired of seeing dragons, samurai, geishas, but people really do like to see all of those things in Asia. So next time, we'll bring games with the right themes for these players, we will come prepared, and we will succeed."

It takes time to successfully enter any new market, no matter what the size of the company, so Unicum Gaming's attitude is ideal for future success in this seemingly ever-expanding gaming arena.

Atronic took their Tournamania concept to Macau and added an Asian look and feel with the DRAGONBOAT theme, which proved popular among the crowds. The game was recently installed in the MGM where it apparently enjoyed a hearty welcome from local players. The DRAGONBOAT on show at G2E Asia has now gone on to be installed in The Venetian, where no doubt their tournament play at the push of a button concept will be as successful as it has been elsewhere. As one Atronic source pointed out to us, often you will see one player on a slot machine in Macau and five friends watching, so the market seems ideally suited to 'community gaming', where all six people could try an experience together. Time will tell!

Another machine developed specifically for the Asian market is Fishing For Jackpots, a five-level progressive with both a mystery trigger and a line trigger, and comes with extremely attractive signage tailored to the host venue size.

One of the company's existing successful products in Asia is Roaring Tiger, which was also on show, alongside King Kong Cash, one of Atronic's superb licensed products.
On the systems side, the company was showing their intriguing qpon cash concept, which means Atronic can now offer customers another solution in cashless gaming alongside chip cash. This was qpon cash's first outing, and the early signs are that this will be a steadily-growing success for Atronic. You'll be able to read more about this in a forthcoming issue of Casino International.

Interblock had their aesthetically wonderful G4 Organic range on show, which is surely the most pleasant of all casino equipment to look at. Smooth, soft lines, plush cushions – combined with the gameplay the casino world has come to expect from this company, it's a great marriage of form and function. And the company is looking forward to introducing it to the Asian market, as Tomaz Zvipelj, CEO of Electroncek explained: "Macau is certainly one of the most important markets for us, so we're looking forward to the introduction of the new G4 Organic here."

Recent installations in the area have been the company's G3 Twin product, a combined Roulette and dice multi-game, which can now be played in both the Sands and the Venetian, two of Macau's busiest casinos.

Also on display at G2E Asia was their Virtual Roulette and Virtual Blackjack units, which have, since the show ended, gone on to be installed in The Venetian.

Cammegh packed their stand to the rafters with product and genuinely showed that from their Roulette wheel background, they have diversified sensibly and with quality. One of the innovations on the stand tied in with their PitBoss product – Keypad, which gives real-time information on wheel speed and direction, gives the last three results and even allows the user to access Billboard (Cammegh's rather good Roulette display product) information. They can enter drop and float values too, so its uses are much further-ranging than simply the Roulette table.

Their latest Slingshot 2 innovation was at G2E Asia, Slingshot 2 TT, the table-top version of their striking and very clever automated wheel. Alongside that were the stunning Crystal wheel, their transparent model which is guaranteed to attract attention.
Arguably top of the pile in Macau though was the Starlight wheel, of which Andrew explained: "After no more bets, the cone colour changes from white to red. That tells everyone there's no more bets, and it also helps remote security, so they know visually that the game has reached that point, so no advantage bet play can happen after that point."

Progressive Gaming International has tasted success many times in Macau, with, the company says, every major operator in Macau using at least one of their products. With a market dominated by table games, and PGI's expertise in RFID and related product, that's not such a surprise though. Bryce Rubio, Vice President Asia for PGI, explained: "Asia has probably the biggest growth potential for us in the next five years. What's happening in the table gaming sector fits perfectly with our long-term strategy is with RFID, CIS [Chip Inventory System], we have our own Table Management System, all tied to our Casino Management System, so from a single platform we can manage all assets in a casino from chips to players to loyalty and more."

PGI's dual chip tray should be an extremely attractive product for Asia, as simply being able to switch to a fully-stocked tray as needed means less downtime on tables, which equals more play and more profit. And using PGI's CIS, for example, frees staff up to work with customers, as Rubio concludes: "In this market place, table accounting, RFID, is going to be the next big investment. Tables are so prevalent, when you're accounting manually there's a lot of room for human error, and RFID can remove that. It allows staff to work on improving the customer experience and doing customer-facing work rather than managing chips."

Elaut seems to be enjoying good business in Asia too, with their multiplayer games finding a healthy market. It's an exceptionally competitive area, with the likes of Alfastreet and Interblock also growing fast, but as Patrick Magendans explains, they are listening to their customers and responding with product via their distributors, RGB. "We have a close relationship with RGB and they requested that we make a new Sic Bo game within our multi player feature; we already had the Roulette product, which is very strong in Cambodia, for example.

"So for Macau we have prepared the machines with ticket in ticket out [TITO] which complies with local regulations. We have a lot of interest from the local market which initially we weren't looking at and now we have to work very hard in the following weeks and months to get this product into casinos. Our machines will be in the Venetian, and the Lisboa." There's surely no greater endorsement than that in the Asian market.

Octavian International introduced an innovative version of their systems management tools at the show, an offline systems manager. It gives customers the chance to see how systems software works without investing in a fully-networked version; while the customer may have to input information manually, they will be able to see how advanced reporting from a networked system can enhance their business.

CEO Harmen Brenninkmeijer, told us how it had been received: ""The response has been great to that because we have made the barrier to entry very low, and that's what we're all about. We want to make sure people with smaller operations can grow into these systems, and grow into controlling and understanding their operations better, and learning more about their operations. Ground-up education is really needed in this region because gaming is effectively still a new profession.

"It's allowing customers to try before they buy – like being able to rent a car and see if it drives the way they want it to, before committing."

Novomatic's growth and commitment to innovation is a blueprint many companies have tried to emulate. In Asia, they work with Independent Gaming who distribute their product; it's a mutually beneficial arrangement, as IG's FlexiLink product is distributed by AGI in Europe, South America and Southern Africa.

G2E Asia saw the company bring the excellent Super V+ Gaminator slot cabinet to a new market, along with their established Duovision cabinet. The former saw another new concept for the Asian market from Novomatic – the multi-game slot offering on the Super V+ Gaminator, which gives players the choice of up to 10 games in one cabinet. Both the Super V+ Gaminator and the Duovision feature games from the company's Coolfire II range.

AGI's David Orrick explained to us how the company sees the future of its games in Asia: "One thing we have discovered is that there is a need within this market for higher denomination games; we feel that could be the next big thing in terms of content," he added.

"We've been quite selective about which games we've presented to this market so far. Thomas Graf, director of our R&D division is here with a team of games specialists and designers and they're looking at properties, talking to people, learning lessons – then they will take what they learn back to Austria and implement those lessons." It's that attitude which has brought the company great success internationally, and it looks set to continue into Asia.

TCSJOHNHUXLEY showed a strong line-up of product in Macau. There was a debut for the virtual racing game Triple Towers Virtual Horse Racing, and its sister product, Greyhound Racing. Racing is very popular in the region, and the striking graphics on this product proved attractive to show visitors. An interesting benefit of the system is that in-game advertising is possible and is easy to update for the operator; it could also be harnessed for the casino's own marketing or promotional use.

TouchTable MultiPLAY Roulette also made its debut, a Roulette game with touchscreen interface which identifies individual players using Touch ID technology. Automating Roulette results in increased security and eliminates dealer error, while also making it possible to play more games per hour – which of course means increased profits for the operator. Unlike many automated Roulettes, this table features a live croupier who can concentrate on entertaining customers and creating a great player experience. The table is now available in a double-table setup, which allows 14 players to enjoy the game from one wheel.

Also on show was their Automatic Dice Recognition System, which brings increased security to Sic Bo games by automatically entering the outcome of the dice throw onto the dealer console when the dealer lifts off the cordless dice cover. The system works with a small camera inside the dice cover, and an external controller running a proprietary vision recognition algorithm.

JCM took their excellent Trident product, a piece of equipment that seems absolutely ideally suited to Macau because of the domination of table games. The product is being readied for introduction into Macau in 2009, as JCM's Tom Nieman explains: "We think in such a table-centric market, a product like Trident which takes cash validation right to the table, puts it into a lockable, removable cash box, has a strong future.

"We're working hard to understand the market place, how fast it needs to process, what it actually has to do unique to this market versus North America." Having seen Trident up close at G2E 2007, this should be a roaring success when it enters the Asian market.
Tom also told us that business has been good in the region, alongside TransAct, whose printers they distribute in the area: "Macau's been a wonderful market for us. The sales of bill validators, and printers as we represent TransAct over here as well, have been very, very good."

Casino Technology's stand featured their hugely enjoyable X-WIN slot concept, alongside a strong line-up of new releases for Asia. GOLDEN BIRD was top of the tree, a high-volatility game with a strong Chinese theme. With 100 winning lines, it shoudl appeal to players who bet on the maximum number of lines. The graphics are what one expects from Casino Technology, crisp and clear with bold colours, and combined with good gameplay, this should keep players happy for some time.

GOTHIC QUEEN is an unusual title, and is designed for players looking for a fun way to spend their time rather than thinking about jackpots! Not that there are not prizes to be won – the Turbo option in-game allows the player to play on 243 lines, and players can increase their wins by choosing a bet multiplier for all wins during the main game.

Alongside these intriguing games were CARNIVAL KING and CARNIVAL PRINCESS, two titles with a vibrant Brazilian carnival fiesta theme, and BUSH EXPLORER, where the player can choose the number of reels they want to play. Finally, ACROPOLIS TREASURE completed the line-up of new titles, with an engaging ancient Greece theme.

Gaming Partners International, aka GPI, were another company that was enjoying the greater space in the Venetian. Their stand was much larger than last year, and with it came the potential to demonstrate more product.

One of the main attractions on the stand was their RFID poker table, which features 125KHz RFID technology and can read up to 25 chips per second, and up to 840 chips on the table. Poker can now benefit from greater security and quicker payouts, as casino rake and round-ups can be calculated immediately. Quicker payouts equals more hands per hour, which means more profit.

GPI's Christophe Leparoux is optimistic about the table's opportunities in Macau, as he explained: "All the operators are very interested in it as they think it may be the next game beyond Baccarat for the casino. It will bring in a new crowd, a younger crowd, the same as in Europe so we have had a lot of interest especially with the RFID incorporated, so we'll probably have a test with one operator in Macau."

FutureLogic have had plenty of success in Asia in recent years, and it looks set to continue with the introduction of PromoNet, a means for casinos to market via a clever couponing system right into the player's hands. Coupons are printed after players cash out, and can be used to promote other areas in the casino, special offers and much more. It's an excellent system and a very clever product, and as most of the gaming world is turning to TITO, it should find a solid customer base in Asia very soon.

G2E Asia was good for the company too, apparently – and an improvement on last year's show, says John Edmunds: "The last few years we've done this show it's been awkward with the split levels. It was hard for customers old and new to find us, and for us to find them. Customer-wise, all the key operators are here, we've had some great meetings and we're very pleased."

Alfastreet used the show to launch a new series of multiplayer games, and G2E Asia saw the world premiere of their Baccarat game. As Alfastreet's Matjaz Petek explained: "It's not just a Baccarat game, rather it's a whole series of games. For us, it's the first time our game is not going to be mechanical, it's like a video game. It offers new opportunities to our existing and new customers. There will be a poker game launched on this platform, and some other exciting games which we are keeping quiet about for now."

Alfastreet works with RGB as their Asia distributor, but took the decision to exhibit independently after some consideration. Matjaz added: "We have machines on RGB's stand but we also wanted to present our Alfastreet brand to the Macau market in our own way. We're a significant player worldwide in the multiplayer market, and that's what we want to communicate to our customers. Also, we wanted to show our commitment to this show which is growing very quickly."

WMS continues to benefit from one of the strongest product line-ups in the gaming industry. Their slot machines are, simply, quite brilliant, as evidenced in Macau with their wonderful Bruce Lee slot machine. What WMS have done – aside from their technological improvements – is to perfectly combine gameplay and content. The result is a collection of slot machines that appeal to both the classic slots player and the younger generation. They genuinely have some of the appeal of console games, while rejuvenating the old-style mechanical slots with their Transmissive Reels technology. Bruce Lee, which made its international debut at ICE in January, is probably the best slot machine I have played this year, and it fits perfectly with their slew of licensed product which includes Dirty Harry and Top Gun. Transmissive Reels creates a really dynamic gaming experience, as the glass over the reels is a transparent screen used for sublime 3D graphics. It's arresting, smart and unique in the market.

Also on show was Great Wall, WMS's first linked progressive made specifically for Asia. It's a multi-level mystery progressive that awards free games instead of jackpots; players increase winnings through individual multipliers.

Abbiati has just completed a joint venture with RGB, one of the key distributors to the Asian gaming market, and they are understandably excited about the prospects this might bring. Abbiati's Terry Clarke talked to Casino International, saying: "Business in Asia is about to grow for us because we have completed a joint venture with RGB. We've now got a separate company called RGB-Abbiati, and all our combined casino equipment will go into the same company.

"With the products we've put together with RGB, there's no conflict of interest with other companies they're working with. They're very strong across all the Asian markets, so it should mean great things for us.

"Because the Asian market is almost entirely Baccarat, Roulette has a lot of work to do to break into the market, but perhaps the new US-style casinos could help make that happen."

Bally always attends shows with a great product line-up, but the star in Macau was Fortune Games. Alongside their traditional product like Hot Shot Progressives and the fabulous Game Maker HD, which will help establish the multi-game concept in Asian slot machines, Fortune Games seem well suited to Asia.

Fortune Frog, Fortune River, Lucky Dragon Quest and Phoenix Fortune are the game titles, and all are five-reel, 50-line progressives with a 2,500 credit max bet. The games use bonus rounds to keep players motivated – for example, Fortune Frog and Fortune River both use a 'wild reel' free game feature. When three or more game logo symbols appear with either the frog or fish (depending on which game is being played) on reel five, the entire reel becomes wild. Frog or fish then jumps on to the adjacent reel at the start of each odd numbered game, so the reel is wild for the second spin; players can win up to 10 free games this way.

The games look great – bold imagery which should call directly to Asian players, with dragon heads in the toppers or leaping salmon to name two. Bally's video slots are well known for their audio excellence, and these are no exception.

There is a lot more to say about Bally product, but we're saving that for a forthcoming issue…

Shuffle Master took their new shuffler to Macau and it's a market that's perfect for them, being predominantly table-based. The i-Deal has been around for just over a year; it's a single-deck specialty shuffler that's been earning Shuffle Master some plaudits in the industry.

Also on show were their Baccarat innovations, with Rapid Baccarat – a live outcome with electronic betting game – and some side bets for the game, one of which is a progressive jackpot.

As Kirsten Clark pointed out, there are few companies that have had the impact on an industry like Shuffle Master has. "As the industry leader we are very keen to bring new and innovative technology," she said. "We were recently recognized as one of the world's top 35 technology innovators across the industry and we were also recognised as the number one company that has the most impact on its industry."

With Poker threatening to gain ground in Asian casinos, Shuffle Master should benefit not only on the shuffler side, but as a leader in table games, with their catalogue including Three Card Poker, Caribbean Stud Poker and a lot more besides.
Last but not least, IGT had their traditional large stand packed with slot product. Their tremendous Indiana Jones progressive was on show, alongside their many licensed products like ever-popular Wheel of Fortune and the great Star Wars range, which included the latest Empire Strikes Back game.

John Gomes, IGT Asia's Managing Director, explained that their slot product for Macau is very much tailored to that market though. He said: "If you take our floor layout, 90 per cent of it is new product to our Asian customers. 80 per cent is in Simplified Chinese, with no English on it at all; the machines that are not in Simplified Chinese are third party machines like Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Wheel of Fortune."

He continued: "Something that's done really well for us in the last year is the stepper product, the three- and five-reel product. With the size of the Venetian's floor they're looking for some variety, and they pushed the envelope in Macau as far as placing stepper product and the percentage on their floor goes. They've been very successful in that, and the spin-off of that can be seen across Macau, with stepper product in all the different properties now."

IGT knows where it will find growth in Macau – in the new builds, the big properties coming to the area in the next 18 months or so. And at the forefront of this is likely to be their electronic table products, the M-P Series and DigiDeal range. Under the DigiDeal name, they showed DragonBacc, Texas Hold'Em Bonus and Digital 21; M-P Series included Golden Baccarat and three variations of Roulette Evolution. With staffing seemingly a constant issue for Macau operators, digital and automated product is likely to become more prevalent in coming years.

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