The who’s who of the Asian gaming industry descended on Macau in early May for the 16th edition of G2E Asia.
Asia’s longest-running gaming industry trade show, G2E Asia, returned to The Venetian Macao in early May – the first time it has been held in its traditional May timeslot since 2019.
Attracting over 6,000 attendees across three days from 7 to 9 May, this year’s event again saw the G2E Asia trade show and conference run alongside the non-gaming focused Asian IR Expo – a nod to the Macau government’s diversification push.
It also prompted a raft of surrounding events, product launches, client dinners and parties – none better attended that IAG’s very own The Industry Party which saw around 400 people gather at Vista at MGM Cotai on the evening of Thursday 8 May.
The highlight of the G2E Asia conference was a Keynote Address by Galaxy Entertainment Group Chairman Francis Lui, who expressed his desire to see Macau look to expand its limited hotel room supply in order to ward off increasing regional competition.
“As Macau shifts towards being a more mass and events focused model, the question of hotel rooms must be addressed both in Macau and throughout greater integration with Hengqin,” he explained.
“By comparison, Las Vegas has over 155,000 hotel rooms supported by 42 million annual visitors. This is over three times that of Macau’s nearly 44,000 hotel rooms despite having 35 million visitors last year.
“Demand for accommodation will continue to outstrip supply in the years ahead. We must also come together as an industry to protect Macau’s premium positioning, by not competing on prices but on quality and the customer experience.
“If we fail to properly address the question of accommodation supply, Macau’s competitiveness as a non-gaming destination not only regionally but globally could diminish.”
Also of interest was a speech by Ed Bowers, MGM Resorts’ President of Global Development, who provided some timely insights into why governments in greenfield jurisdictions must lean on the expertise of operators to help sway public opinion. Bowers has overseen MGM’s successful licensing efforts in Japan and is known to have one eye on developments in Thailand, where a draft Entertainment Complex Bill is currently under parliamentary review.
“Governments who choose to legalize casino gambling must proactively engage with the public,” Bowers said. “This means working alongside the operators to clearly articulate why integrated resorts are good public policy.
“They must communicate that regulation will be robust, aligned with global best practices and designed to ensure player protection. They must also speak clearly that casino gaming will be free from corruption, the selection processes will be transparent and that there are strong measures to mitigate problem gambling.
“Equally vital is highlighting the tangible economic benefits such as job creation, increased tourism infrastructure investment and community revitalization.”
Another standout session of the conference examined the progress of smart gaming tables in the Asian market, where it was revealed that the recent rollout of these tables across Macau’s casinos has seen the proportion of gaming revenues contributed by lucrative baccarat side bets soar to almost 50%.
As always, the insights provided a unique view into how the Asian gaming industry continues to evolve.
The G2E Asia exhibition, meanwhile, covered more than 30,000 square meters of exhibition space and attracted visitors from more than 80 countries.
