Preview: G2E Asia 2023

Gambling Insider previews the upcoming G2E Asia 2023, as the gambling expo returns to Macau for the first time since 2019

With Macau’s reopening at the start of 2023 signalling the last gambling stronghold to exit Covid-induced hibernation, G2E Asia 2023 will thus reflect an Asian market now fully operational for the first-time post-pandemic. This reflection of a fully functioning Asian market comes in the form of two shows in 2023, a Singapore edition from 30 May to 1 June 2023 at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, and the IR Expo show at the Venetian Macao, Macau, from 11 July to 13 July.

Both trade shows – Singapore and Macau – will be supplemented by a series of conference and networking events. In 2022, G2E Asia returned after a three-year hiatus, although with just one show taking place in Singapore, as Macau was still constrained by Covid-induced lockdowns.

The return (for the most part) of G2E

Asia last year saw 70+ exhibitors come together from the Asia-Pacific region, in a show that featured content on the latest market trends, innovative products and regulatory requirements.

This time around, the show marks its return to Macau for the first time since 2019, before the pandemic began in early 2020. In 2023, Macau has seen a resurgence in its status as one of the world’s top gambling hubs since January 2023, when it effectively lifted almost all Covid-19 restrictions. Visitation figures for the Chinese SAR region rose during the Chinese New Year period, setting Macau on its path to future recovery. It is no surprise, then, that G2E Asia is set to mark its return to the Venetian Macao for the first time since 2019, in tandem with the region’s own recovery. Scheduling has been released for both the Singapore and Macau event.

Macau’s first G2E event since 2019 will see themes of travel, Asian markets, art & entertainment, evolving operations and sustainability take centre stage as key industry talking points at the expo’s many scheduled conferences. Meanwhile, the Singapore iteration of G2E Asia 2023 will focus on financial outlooks, the future of gaming in Asia, as well as panels on best practices, including current issues surrounding gaming compliance and regulation.

Although the full list of attendees has yet to be determined, the eventual make-up of attendance to both Singapore and Macau’s G2E events will certainly be taken as a reflection of the industry’s excitement over Asia’s recovery; and expectations about the region’s viability as a collection of markets with the conditions for long-term investment.