Gaming equipment supplier Aristocrat Gaming is bullish on the outlook of the Macau gaming market, pledging continuous investment to meet the evolving needs of local casinos, its senior executive said.
Lloyd Robson, General Manager – Asia of Aristocrat Gaming, made the comments on the sidelines of the Global Gaming Expo Asia (G2E Asia), a regional trade show for the casino industry held at the Venetian Macao from 4 to 6 June.
“Everybody is surprised by the quick rebound of the GGR [gross gaming revenue] in Macau, especially in the mass and premium mass segments,” he told MNA.
Macau’s gross gaming revenue for the first five months of 2024 reached MOP96.06 billion (US$12 billion), marking a year-on-year increase of 47.9 percent, according to the latest data from the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ). This figure represents 76.4 percent of the pre-Covid level seen in 2019.
“What we are seeing now in Macau is very similar to what we saw in the Philippines and Singapore 12 to 18 months ago, so we feel quite confident to know where the market’s going to be in another 12 to 18 months in Macau,” Robson remarked.
Macau operators are also upgrading their equipment and machines on the casino floor in response to the new Electronic Gaming Machine (EGM) Technical Standards. The DICJ, Macau’s gaming regulator, has mandated that all EGMs on the casino floor must be fully compliant with the new standards by 31 December 2026.
“We’re seeing operators becoming a little more aggressive with their purchasing for the floor,” Robson indicated.
Extensive portfolio
“There are a lot of transformations happening right now… in Macau, and our games are really starting to make a difference on the Macau floor,” he continued. “Throughout the pandemic, we’ve continued to develop games for Macau and the rest of Asia.”
Aristocrat Gaming is showcasing an extensive portfolio of over 50 machines at G2E Asia this week. Some of the featured titles include “Grand Legends: Great King”, “Grand Legends: Royal Emperor”, “Caifu Zhong Sheng: Dragon”, “Dragon Link”, “Bao Zhu Zhao Fu”, and others.
“We’re super excited that we’ve got nine of our global studios building games for Asia. That’s a lot of different talent building games for this region,” Robson stated. “‘Dragon Link’ is going exceptionally well right across Asia, and the one that’s really starting to take the region by storm now is ‘Bao Zhu Zhao Fu’.”
“Caifu Zhong Sheng: Dragon” and “Phoenix” introduce innovative features such as a new jackpot mechanic and metamorphic cash-on-reels, which “can take the market in a new direction,” he added.
Earlier this week, Aristocrat Gaming unveiled its newly renovated office and showroom in downtown Macau, following the launch of a gaming showroom in Manila, Philippines last year.
“We’re pretty excited about the outlook [of Macau] right through to the end of this concession period,” the general manager said. He referred to the new 10-year gaming concessions granted to the city’s six operators, which commenced last year and will continue until 2032.
“We’re all-in on Macau,” he stressed.
