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Competition forces innovation in EGMs, online gaming in Asia For this edition of Asia Gaming Briefings, which coincides with the Australasian Gaming Expo, we are dedicating our focus section to trends in the electronic gaming sector.
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accarat still remains the game of choice in Asia, but electronic gaming machines are gaining traction across the region, especially in jurisdictions such as the Philippines, where the regulator and some of the operators are more accommodating than most about trialling new products. Australia has for decades been the world’s largest slot machine market, with pokies ubiquitous in pubs and clubs across the country, but industry insiders lament that there is a lack of innovation to drive growth. Suppliers keen to introduce new and exciting products into the market are facing push back from regulators concerned about the potential impact on problem gambling. In our first focus article, we look at this delicate balancing act between breathing new life into the market, without creating harm to the consumers. In a first for Australia, regulators in New South Wales recently set up a Regulatory Sandbox to test new products and technologies in a controlled environment. Suppliers are hoping this may help ease bottlenecks in bringing new machines to the market. For our second article, we look at live casino.
Asia Gaming Briefings | August 2019
A rapidly improving offering of RNG and online slots is beginning to challenge live casino’s reign in Asia when it comes to online offerings. We take a look at some of the ways live casino operators are introducing innovations to differentiate their services to stay ahead of the competition. Also in the online space, we examine trends in online slot machines. The operating environment has become increasingly competitive, with new entrants aggressively cutting pricing. As a result, game developers are being forced to pay even closer attention to the preferences of individual Asian markets and to produce engaging and relevant content. For our last article in this section, we talk to Gamesource Managing Director Iao Lam, whose cloud-based gaming platform is being trialled in MGM Macau and being tested in two further casinos. The company also has ambitious expansion plans this year, targeting Cambodia, Vietnam and the U.S. The company aims to shake up the slot machine market with new types of games that will potentially appeal to that key millennial audience, or as Lam says will “bring in new blood.”
