Inside Asian Gaming

APRIL 2018 INSIDE ASIAN GAMING 49 iGAMING IN DEPTH iGAMING BLUE PAGES IAG: How does the Indian market differ from other Asian markets, both in terms of the regulatory environment and also the characteristics of the players themselves? JA: Widespread regulation is slowly arriving in Asia, but it’s a gradual process. India is, of course, an eloquent case in point. However, after a successful 2017 of triple- digit growth, improving the speed and performance of all games on the QTech platform, this recent launch of QT Play has seen us hit the ground running in 2018 with another tool that ensures our partners here are able to outstrip their rivals. And while we’re currently seeing the biggest growth in India’s rapidly emerging space, it’s vital – as with every Asian territory – to supply the precise gaming portfolio for disparate cultural taste and regulation. The subcontinent is no different in this regard. QT Play’s ability to partition this Pan-Asian variety and parcellate it according to player preference and respective market requirements allows our partners to target any region with precision and confidence. As I’ve said before, these neighboring evolutions across the continent come at their own pace and culture. There is no one overarching characteristic or regulation catch-all solution. Yet technology is the common lightning rod which conducts all the brightest sparks of progress. So no matter what the prevalent societal norms in India, these will invariably be overcome by Mumbai “No matter what the prevalent societal norms in India, these will invariably be overcome by the price and accessibility of tech.” the price and accessibility of tech and the fresh digital content opportunities they bring. IAG: People often talk about the need to tailor products to the “Asian market” but the Asian market is quite broad and diverse. What about tailoring to the Indian market specifically – how important is this and what is required? JA: It constantly surprises me to encounter even industry veterans who still seem bewildered at the patchwork multiplicity of the largest continent. Regulation and appetite may be temporary, even complex challenges. However, they are not immovable obstacles. Naturally, harnessing the untapped potential of almost 4.5 billion people is never going to be simple. That said, the Asian market is now projected to reach a worth somewhere north of US$18.5 billion based on a compound annual growth rate of 11.7% by 2022. So these are challenges well worth persevering with! At QTech Games, we’ve made it our mission statement to understand and unpack these nuances and quirks, ensuring full compliance and the deepest levels of player engagement. As for India, teaming up with a domestic partner makes sense for garnering trust and local validation through the overlapping magisterial of competing rules and markets, such as working with the current Nagaland-Sikkim two-state solution. IAG: Where does the Indian gaming market currently stand in terms of their adoption of the latest technology? JA: At QTech Games, we’re dedicated to corralling the top RNG games and distributing them throughout Asia. It’s that simple, and it’s getting more simple with the advances to which I’ve already alluded: 4G and rising smartphone-adoption to name two telling trends. As you might expect, the players themselves are the best exponents and stewards of this tech boom, especially the core 21 to 35-year-old bracket. Here, the gender divide between men and women gamers also continues to narrow, so a cutting-edge product range which speaks to gender equality in terms of thematic content and software will soon become the only game in town.