IAG December 2015

Industry
profile
“I can remember in the early days before Sands Casino on
Macau Peninsula was built thinking they want to turn this
place into another Las Vegas and wondering how that was
going to happen. Casino construction and experiences in
Macau are now amongst the best in the world — it truly has
been a transformation from a sleepy village.”
KJ: Not so much stories but fond memories
for those of us here 10 years ago, whilst
staying at the then Mandarin Oriental
(now Grand Lapa Hotel) with its nightlife
(Embassy Bar, the only place then everyone
went to meet and socialize) and watching
Sands casino being built during visits to the
hotel swimming pool. I learnt construction
workers in this part of the world can sleep
absolutely anywhere during breaks.
Upon returning home to Australia numerous
times I was asked by friends where I had
been travelling so I had to explain where
Macau was – it was basically unknown then.
I remember landing one evening in Hanoi
(for the first time ever) and finding myself
in a taxi heading to a hotel in the pitch dark
wondering why the car was on a dirt road and
if I would survive past the visit. Of course
the next day I discovered we were taking a
shorter route on a road under construction
that went around the outside of the city. One
time I was going to local Macau Chinese
restaurant and had to walk around inside the
restaurant looking at everyone’s meal and
pointing to what I would like to order. There
were no English menus in those days. There
have been many stories and great times over
the last 11 years in Macau.
IAG: In your view, how has Macau changed
over the years?
KJ: I can remember in the early days before
Sands Casino on Macau Peninsula was built
thinking they want to turn this place into
another Las Vegas and wondering how that
was going to happen. Casino construction
and experiences in Macau are now amongst
the best in the world – it truly has been a
transformation from a sleepy village. Another
change – traffic, traffic and more traffic,
Macau is now one big traffic jam. There’s
more variety in restaurants, new apartment
living and more western faces since my early
days. Another big change is international
recognition of where Macau is and the role it
now plays in the Pearl River Delta.
IAG: How do you think slots have developed
in the Asian market over the last 10 years?
KJ: Asian slot development has seen Chinese
language, Chinese themes, Chinese proverbs
and Chinese culture being shown and told
on the machines. The Macau slot market
has driven volatility and jackpots causing
manufacturers to offer more range in their
development studios so as to cover Asia.
Choy Sun Doa to 88 Fortunes and the Fa Fa
Fa to Duo Fu Duo Cai links are all products
of this.
The early changes started when I was
at Aristocrat (where previously games
developed and installed in Australia were
brought to Asia), the request came in Asia
asking how we make machines more suited
to Chinese players. Firstly we changed the
credit meter, bet meter and win meter on
the screen to show in Chinese characters
above the English. Additionally the game
feature was translated to Chinese characters
to better explain the game feature in the
top artwork so players knew what to chase.
Machines today are primarily Asian themed
with Chinese characters and language
appearing throughout. Manufactures use
the tools at hand to produce better graphics,
better mathematics and more aesthetically
pleasing cabinets.
December 2015 inside asian gaming 15