The document discusses how the liberalization of gaming regulations in Macau has sparked a boom in the Asian gaming market. This is driving demand for infrastructure, technology solutions, and services across several industries. In particular, the integrated resort developments in Singapore will generate significant opportunities for the information and communications technology sector, including in areas like systems integration, surveillance equipment, cashless gaming, and compliance management systems. Local companies are preparing solutions to capture this new business from the integrated resorts.

1. 52 TODAY • FRIDAY • JULY 8, 2005
business news
GAMING BOOM’S
RIPPLE EFFECT
Daniel Cheng a completely new line. In contrast, the
news@newstoday.com.sg less-regulated US Indian tribal gaming
MACAU’S liberalisation of its gaming market has seen the introduction of a
market in 2002 revitalised the once dearth of innovative games and technolo-
stagnant casino gaming market in Asia. gies that put it far ahead of the tradi-
Now, as the former Portuguese enclave tional casino market.
begins to reap the economic fruits of its With no regulatory baggage here,
bold move, its neighbours are scrambling there’s no stopping entrepreneurs from
for a piece of the new-found pie. offering casinos in Singapore more inno-
Thailand, South Korea and Japan have vative games such as server-based slot
all entered the race, while Singapore has machine networks, electronic-styled
upstaged them all with its twin integrated casino table games and distributed in-
resort (IR) tender announcements. venue gaming products.
The obvious first beneficiary in all Meanwhile, new regulations will drive
these developments is the construction the market demand for gaming opera-
and real estate industries. tions audit applications.
In equities, the gaming boom has
sparked frenzied buying of stocks with • Emerging technologies
Macau-related investments. Radio-frequency identification (RFID)
SGX-listed Multivision, a surveillance technology is making inroads into the
technology company, was an early bird casino where gaming chips can be
to benefit from this, having netted over embedded with tiny transceivers. RFID
$12 million in surveillance equipment promises not only to improve dealer effi-
contracts with Macau’s Ho clan. ciency, but also eradicate dud chips and
Another beneficiary of the gaming deter money laundering.
boon is the info-communications technol- Optical recognition technology also
ogy (ICT) sector. Here are some areas promises similar benefits to gaming opera-
where ICT demand is expected to grow: tions.
In the area of surveillance, biometrics,
• ICT infrastructure retinal and facial recognition are among
Corporate ICT infrastructure purchases the technologies that are being heralded
are set to soar as for casino security.
each new gaming
operator will probably
hire in excess of a
thousand employees.
Computer and net-
working hardware,
taking
analysis gossip opinion
• •
• Management
systems
The most critical tech-
nology component of
a casino is its casino
STOCK
business and office management system
software, IT support (CMS), which binds
and call centre serv- all aspects of its busi-
ices are the basic ness operations from
necessities for each of real-time floor opera-
the new business entities in the IR — the tions, to slot machines management, cus-
casino, retailers, convention operators, tomer relationship management, surveil-
hotels and the theme park operators. lance, accounting and integration to hospi-
tality management.
• Gaming localisation With the exception of the Genting
Macau’s first new gaming players off the casino and new venues that opened in
block, Sands Macau and Mocha Slots, the last three years, all the other casinos
had to live with an English-language gam- in Asia do not have such a system.
ing operations system in a place where Here again, regulatory requirements
Chinese is the de facto spoken and writ- could make a CMS mandatory for each
ten lingua. IR operator. The CMS market opportu-
Most gaming products are designed for nity in Asia will run in the hundreds of
the US and European markets and do not millions over the next six years.
suit the Asian environment, which has Singapore’s ICT companies are
unique characteristics such as allowing already preparing for the arrival of the
customers to handle playing cards. IR, with some convening special task
A significant amount of business is thus forces to focus on the project.
in the offing for localisation services. The stakes are high and the likely
winners are the ones that can offer a
• Regulatory boost combination of the most unique and
New government regulations will dictate comprehensive solution for the IR.
how the IR operates and with Singa-
pore’s reputation, each operator will no The writer formerly held senior manage-
doubt need to adhere to detailed audit ment positions in US-listed Alliance Gam-
and reporting guidelines and strict oper- ing and Progressive Games — two
ating procedures. leading gaming industry technology corpo-
In the United States, approval for a rations. He also served in consulting and
gaming product can take anything from advisory roles with various regulators and
six to nine months or even longer if it is technology companies in Asia.