G2E ASIA Storms and competition at…
The inaugural International Gaming Expo took place in late May/early June in Cernobbio, on the banks of Lake Como, Italy. Was it worth the trip? Casino International thinks so…
G2E ASIA 2013 T
he Global Gaming Expo on May 22 to 24 at the Venetian Macau showed many signs that the annual event has matured since its Asian debut in 2007.
The exhibition floor has grown significantly. The
organizers have injected new zones and concepts to the spruce up the casino convention but the most visible change visitors detected were the floor size. The space has expanded to 7,000 square metres, up to around 17 per cent compared to 5,959 square metres last year. The exhibitor numbers also keeps rising. More gaming developers from around the world, from dominant industry leaders to up-and-coming suppliers, were present at the convention. All their latest innovations were on display, the majority of products conceived for the Asian player judging from the ubiquitous use of Chinese iconography, graphics as well as math- models to woo local gamers in the region. Several companies have realized that transferring games developed for other markets to Asia, will not succeed especially since the industry across the region has grown increasingly competitive. Reed Exhibition, one of
the show’s organizers, estimate that up to 150
vendors congregated at the show compared to 130 vendors in 2012. Attendance figures were also forecasted to be higher than the 6,161 attendees reported last year. However, several companies that participated at the event told Casino International the volume of visitor traffic appeared lower than last year; the weather could have attributed to such perception. The black storm warning was hoisted at the start of
the three-day event – torrential rains pounded on Hong Kong and Macau. Many vendors cited the dramatic weather to be partially responsible for the
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slow traffic at the expo. That wasn’t the only storm brewing at the
conference: news of another gaming conference to debut in Macau in November was announced in the midst of the event. Several industry observers cited the timing of the news as a targeted hit to the G2E Asia. According to media reports, the new Macau Gaming Show is scheduled for November 14 to 16th. at the Venetian Macau. The Macau Gaming Equipment Manufacturers Association is one of the organizers, an entity founded by Jay Chun who is also chairman of LG Games, a local games manufacturer. Distractions aside, few factors could dampen the mood industry professionals had about gaming opportunities in Asia. In fact, the most talked about topic on the floor was the enthusiasm industry professionals forecasted about Macau and neighbouring jurisdictions in Asia. “Macau is the centre of the universe in the [casino] world,” says Steve T. Walther, director of games product management of Konami Gaming Inc. He says this jurisdiction has become the focal point since other markets such as America, Australia and Europe are still struggling from the economic downturn. With gaming companies striving to capture the volume of business generated from the region with countless market-specific products displayed at the event, the G2E Asia also underscored Asia’s status in the gambling industry. Conversely, the event has grown beyond its Asia- focused roots. Bally Technologies managing director Kurt Gissane, a regular at the annual trade show, has noticed greater diversity amongst attendees, especially since the executive has encountered more visitors from Europe and Australia, for example. “It’s not just people within the Asia Pacific region, more international guests are attending the show.” He adds, “This is a world class event now.”
Total Transparency with Abbiati Italy-based casino equipment supplier Abbiati
presented a suite of new casino currency and gaming furniture for visitors at the G2E; at the heart of the display were high-tech equipment for live card games. For the heavily table-driven market where baccarat is king, Abbiati showcased the RFID Baccarat table
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