XIN GAMING
Slots in the fast lane
C
IO: Could you give us an understanding of the most popular verticals within the Asian online gaming market? Mathias Larsson:
Within the casino segment live casino is by far the most popular area, but slots are catching up. In fact I’m going to step out on a limb here and say that slot games will overtake live casino in total GGR within three years. I was actually
introduced to Asian gambling through live casino, but it quickly became clear to me that slots was the vertical with most potential. The great thing about slots is that there are such a variety of titles. Operators that sign up with us at XIN Gaming will have a portfolio of more than 1,000 games by the end of 2016, which is an incredible range to put forward to customers. Slots have a much greater growth rate than live casino, and with the offer of a greater margin, more and more operators are focusing on them. Another important factor in the change is mobile. Live casino is a slower game so it is not a good match with mobile gaming. For slot games it’s the opposite, so it’s a perfect game for mobile.
CIO: How would you compare the online gaming sector in Asia to that of Europe and other parts of the world? ML: Asia is the world’s No.1 region for mobile usage and already has around 50 per cent of global mobile phone subscriptions, despite
only 32 per cent of Asian citizens owning a phone. This penetration will grow to 49 per cent by 2020, according to GSMA. With around 1.2bn players, Asia is also the world’s biggest market for mobile gaming of all types. The potential for gambling among that increasing number of mobile phone users is incredible if we consider that Asia, according to a PwC report, already accounts for almost 50 per cent of the world’s casino revenues. The potential for the region is incredible, but
not everyone can be a winner. Unless you have local partners with a deep knowledge of the market you will not succeed. It simply does not matter how oustanding your product is, you will not succed without the right advice and contacts.
CIO: What do you think will be the major
developments in the Asian market in the coming 12 months? ML: Slot games will still be the fastest
growing vertical. However, there is also room for games that can be seen as a crossover of social and slot games.
CIO: What relationship does the brick- and-mortar gaming sector have with the online sector?
Mathias Larsson, XIN Gaming’s managing director, believes that slots will replace live casino as Asia’s most popular online gaming sector within the next three years…
ML: For most of the brick-and-mortar
establishments, it’s simply not possible to move into online due to legal restrictions. A few of them have the opportunity, but they have been slow to react to the online opportunities. We, of course, would love to work with more brick- and-mortar clients.
CIO: What would be your No.1 piece of
advice for operators in choosing content and platform partners in Asia? ML: Find yourself a local partner in Asia that
is strong, established and trustworthy. It isn’t enough to hook up with a European platform provider who just happen to have an office in Asia and therefore claim that they know the market. Companies such as XIN have years of experience in Asia, from expertise in gaming and technology to payments and infrastructure. Consider exactly what you need and what the
partner can offer, as companies such as ours can not only offer games but also an entire mobile platform. Make sure you carry out extensive due diligence into potential partners, and that they have all the necessary expertise in terms of matters as diverse as software and logistics.
CIO: Many operators may be fearful of
regulatory and legal issues in Asia. What would you say to them? ML: Do your homework and look at what the
larger operators are doing. If they can find ways to operate, then so can you. While we often discuss the Asian market as a single entity, it should of course be recognised that the continent is not a homogenous region. Just as XIN develops games for each different jurisdiction, from Japan to Malaysia and South Korea, so operators must also be targeted in their approach.
OCTOBER 2016 63
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