IT'S ON WITH THE SHOW!!

A global pandemic that brought the gaming industry to its knees, closed down international borders, grounded air travel and crippled economies is bound to spark some changes. In fact, some people note that it’s often events such as this that are the catalyst for real innovation. In our Focus section this month, we take a look at some things that will be different once the industry fully recovers.

We start by looking at the traditional casino floor layout. The days of long banks of slot machines have gone due tosocial distancing requirements that require every otherunit to be turned off.

The rules have required casino floor managers to be more creative and to listen to what the customer wants and how the customer wants to play. People are social but are warier than before of people they don’t know and slot machine set up needs to reflect this change. Those that have listened have found the changes are paying off in terms of more revenue from fewer machines.

We also look at how Covid has driven the adoption of technologies to improve the customer journey. Customers want frictionless play and the casino of the future will need to respond if they are to get them to come back through the doors. This is likely to involve the introduction of more smart tables and table game systems, as well as no chip, or virtual chip play.

Also in these pages, you’ll find the most relevant updates across Asia gaming jurisdictions. Starting off with Macau, investors and operators are seeking further clarity from the government overdraft proposals that seek to increase supervision over the gaming industry. In the absence of clarity, the day after publication, panic selling wiped almost $20 billion off the value of shares in the six gaming operators.

In the Philippines, NUSTAR Resort & Casino is on track to open in March next year, featuring 101 tables and 800 slots, and is already attracting interest from junket operators.

The second phase will be rolled out from December 2022.NUSTAR will be Cebu’s first upscale resort, although others are planned, including PH Resorts’ Emerald Bay Resort.

On the country’s online front, PAGCOR is pushing back against accusations that it has failed to collect enough tax from its offshore gambling operators at a time when the government is seeking to optimize revenue from the gambling industry. As it stands, the rising cost of doing business and issues with immigration permits have triggered an outflow of POGO licensees.

Meanwhile, Vietnam is taking the first steps to reopen its tourism industry, allowing international travel to the island of Phu Quoc from November. The region is home to the corona Resort & Casino, which is the only one in the country where locals are allowed to gamble and while the resort has been open since August 1, it has been operating under capacity restrictions.

In our Supplier Special Report, you’ll hear from many of the companies exhibiting at G2E. Las Vegas will welcome one of the world’s largest gatherings of industry executives this month with the return of the event. Manufacturers, suppliers, and service providers outline their new product lineups that will be displayed for review and fill us in on what they have been doing in the run-up to the return of live events.

Happy reading, and stay safe!

On behalf of Asia Gaming Brief

Rosalind Wade & Luis Pereira

CO-FOUNDERS