Macau’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) is said to be pondering a two-year extension to the final implementation deadline of its EGM Technical Standards 2.0, according to leading industry suppliers.
Speaking during a panel session titled “Technical development of Macau Gaming Equipment Manufacturing” during the 2022 MGS Summit on Wednesday, representatives of Light & Wonder, Aristocrat Gaming and IGT revealed there was widespread talk that the deadline would be pushed back, possibly by as much as two years until the end of 2026.
It was also suggested that the DICJ would look at phasing in its EGM Technical Standards 2.0 over the next four years, perhaps requiring 25% of Macau’s casino floors to become compliant each year starting from the end of 2023.
Inside Asian Gaming has reached out to the DICJ for comment.
EGM Technical Standards 2.0, which governs the operation of electronic gaming machines in the SAR, was published in early 2021 and represents the first update to Macau’s EGM Technical Standards since version 1.1 was released in 2014.
Under the DICJ’s original timeline for implementation of 2.0, suppliers were given until 31 December 2022 to be fully compliant with the new rules, meaning that any games submitted to the DICJ for approval after that date must adhere to all requirements under 2.0.
By 31 December 2023 all casino floors in Macau must include at least 40% of EGMs which are fully compliant to 2.0 and by midday on 31 December 2024, 100% of EGMs operating in Macau must comply with the new standards. Any machines that don’t will be required to be switched off and withdrawn from operation.
According to suppliers, the new timeline would potentially see operators able to run 50% of their casino floor under EGM Technical Standards 2.0 by 31 December 2024 with 100% required only by end-2026.
Lloyd Robson, General Manager, Asia for Aristocrat, told the MGS Summit panel, “It was our original understanding that by end of 2024 all compliance was the order of the day, but maybe that will be pushed out further. We will work with the direction the DICJ provides.
“It has become a bit of a moving beast in terms of timelines but these changes were put out there in early 2021 so we’ve been on this as an industry for about 18 months and we’ve had a number of games come online in the last quarter which are 2.0 compliant. We’ve also worked with the properties to create a game portfolio from existing games into the future to help them become compliant.”
Ken Jolly, Vice President and Managing Director, Asia for Light & Wonder, said his company was also well-advanced on its conversion timelines.
“We move pretty quickly, we are upgrading our Dualos X cabinets in the market and we have a number of our most popular games available already for that,” he said.
“We have had new game in our new Kascada cabinet approved as well so we are ready to move forward in Macau as the concessionaires get [their concessions] renewed and are ready to start upgrading their product.”
IAG has previously identified 142 new additions to EGM Technical Standards 2.0 across 13 main categories when compared to Technical Standards 1.1, involving areas such as Program Storage Devices, Hardware, Random Number Generator, Meters, Game Play and Display of Time.
