SUPPLIER SPECIAL REPORT

MEKONG 2019 Introducing the Mekong Gaming Summit

The inaugural Mekong Gaming Summit launches this week, held on 10-11 September 2019 at the Sofitel Phnom Penh in Cambodia.

The event is designed to give the industry muchneeded insights into the exciting but sometimes opaque markets of Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, which are seen as the next growth market for gaming in the region.

Organized and produced by Asia Gaming Brief, the two-day event gathers the region’s foremost experts in gaming and hospitality financing and investment, marketing and operations.

Highlights of the conference include keynote addresses by the Ministry of Economy & Finance on the future of casinos and gaming in the Kingdom, panels on the main markets in the region and their progress towards regulation, and practical sessions on how to set up your business in SE Asia.

There are also a number of networking events, including welcome drinks on Monday 9th September at the Phokeethra Sky, Drinks in the Foyer on Tuesday 10th September, as well as a Gala Cocktail Reception and Property Tour at Nagaworld on the same night.

The event also features an optional one-day tour through Sihanoukville, giving attendees insights into the inner workings of some of Cambodia’s most successful casino resorts.

With the launch of the Mekong Gaming Summit, the event becomes part of Asia Gaming Brief’s stable of events, which includes the ASEAN Gaming Summit in March, the Asia Gaming Reunion Dinner in May, Australasian Gaming Expo Seminars in August, and AGB’s Networking Socials held at different locations throughout the year.

APE pioneers new tech in new SE Asian markets

APE

Asia Pioneer Entertainment Ltd. (APE) is a Hong Kong-listed public company based in Macau.

As Macau’s largest supplier agent, APE is involved in the sales and distribution of electronic gaming equipment, spare parts and repair services of gaming machines as well as supplier consulting.

The group’s success comes from its portfolio of proven equipment manufacturers, including Jumbo from Taiwan, Konami Australia, Spintec from Slovenia and Transact from the U.S. “Although the Macau market has been the main base of APE’s business, we are expanding to Southeast Asia where the land-based casino markets are showing high growth potential,” says Tony Chan, APE’s chief financial officer.

In Southeast Asia, the management of the group sees high growth in demand for new electronic gaming equipment (EGE) as markets like the Philippines, Vietnam and Cambodia are sprouting new casinos.

“We also actively pursuing opportunities in equipment sales of EGE in emerging Asian markets, namely Cambodia, Laos and we are exploring new financing methods like finance leasing and participation,” Chan says.

In 2018, APE made two financial lease sales of an aggregate amount $3.9 million from Cambodia’s Galaxy Casino and The Palace Casino in Cebu, Philippines.

In Macau, APE launched the first of three orders of Konami’s “Fortune Cup” electronic horse racing Multi-Terminal Gaming Machines. One of them is already installed in a Cotai resort, whilst the other two machines are expected to be released by the end of 2019. Casinos also showed interest in the Bao Ni Fa linked progressive jackpot slot machines from Jumbo, and also Spintec’s blackjack video game, as well as Konami’s new concerto SAP and Progressive links. Some of them have already started trials in some casinos.

“Being a HK-listed company gives confidence to our customers that APE does things, not just professionally, but reliably and transparently. This allows APE to get on the approved suppliers list of all the major casinos in Macau and some of the largest Integrated Resorts in Asia, such as Genting in Malaysia, Hoiana in Vietnam and Golden Galaxy in Cambodia,” Chan says.

“We take proven products that work in the Macau casino market and we introduce them to emerging Asian casino markets with the addition of new financing models. In other words, we are pioneering new technology to new casinos in new markets.” he adds.

Sportradar continues to expand in Asia

BETRADAR

As the world’s leading supplier of sports betting and data services, our major focus are our partners and clients, working with them to ensure we meet both their needs and the industry as a whole. To do this it is important to maintain a regional focus as well, which is why we have representatives across the globe who are continuously meeting with clients at events to share our knowledge and expertise as well as gather feedback.

We use this feedback to continuously shape and update the scope and focus of our comprehensive range of products and services. As many are aware, for Asia, esports is continuing to grow in size and popularity and, as such, it is an area that we are focusing on in the region.

As such, earlier this year we launched Bayes Esports Solutions, a joint venture between Sportradar and DOJO Madness. This will see game data from League of Legends esports competitions delivered to business customers, including betting companies, esports broadcasters and general media. The deal will increase access to League of Legends esports data, enabling the community and third-party operators to create a wide array of services to help bolster the sport.

We also recently announced a groundbreaking partnership with video game developer and leading esports competition organizer, Riot Games. The deal will see all domestic and international League of Legends esports competitions that are organised by Riot Games monitored by our world-leading Integrity Services to protect from bettingrelated threats.

One of the biggest developments Sportradar’s betting arm, Betradar, made in Asia this year was within our Gaming Solutions. Adding to our comprehensive virtual sports offering, which includes Virtual Football, Virtual Basketball and Virtual Tennis In-Play, we launched a new virtual Asian Cup and Virtual Football Champions Cup. Both enhance the opportunity for operators in Asia to tap into the popularity of football. As part of our mission to continue expanding our solutions, we are also set to launch Virtual Baseball and Virtual Cricket, two popular sports in Asia that continue to show increasing demand.

Betradar’s Gaming Solutions are a great way to supplement any licensed sportsbook. They are also available as part of the company’s Managed Trading Solutions (MTS), which is an all-in-one package complete with the company’s market-leading Pre-Match and Live Odds, Betting Stimulation and their expert trading and risk management, which can be utilised and tailored to suite a range of operator’s needs.

Panthera paves way for the future

NOVOMATIC

The Novomatic cabinets branded Panthera feature eye-catching designs that have made an impact on international gaming floors, in the dual-screen Panthera 2.27 and curve screen Panthera Curve 1.43 versions. The cabinets were primarily designed to address the requirements of the latest Novo Line Interactive and Impera Line HD gaming platforms – with their broad base of multi-screen content and a constantly growing number of single-screen curve games, the cabinet was required to launch in two versions.

The Panthera 2.27 as a dualmonitor machine with 27” screens and the Panthera Curve 1.43 with its 4K PCAP monitor and 43” screen generate a homogenous appearance on the gaming floor and are ideally fit for common positioning. With the acceptance of tablets in the area of consumer technologies, this concept has been worked into the Panthera cabinets in the form of a 15.6” TouchDeck display that serves as the central player interface. Nevertheless, taking into account the preference of players who stick to the traditional feel and audible ‘click’ of a physical start button, the most emotionally-occupied buttons – ‘Start’, ‘Auto-Start’ and ‘Collect’ – are still integrated as physical push buttons.

Key corporate design elements have been further refined to lend Novomatic gaming equipment a distinct look and feel. Elements like the newly developed ergonomic hand rest and button positioning, as well as the optimized angle and positioning of the monitors, were determined through intensive internal analyses and test series. As a black edition with subtly accentuated chrome elements, it exudes an elegance that clearly positions the Panthera in the premium segment. With the Panthera product line, a trend-setting and innovative icon has been set for future generations of Novomatic cabinets.