Inside Asian Gaming

13 FEBRUARY 2016 inside asian gaming Industry profile work out nicely. So I found myself opening up the Asian office for Paltronics. IAG: How was the transition from Sydney to Macau for you personally? KR: Well at first easy, there used to be a pub here back when I first came called HQ. It was my second home – actually I lived above it, which was probably not such a great idea! I worked hard and partied hard and made a lot of friends. Three months later I was pregnant, and I was in shock. I was here to work and enjoy our adventure not to have babies! I went from loving being in Macau for the first few months to resenting it … it was not Macau’s fault, it must have been the hormones! I wanted all the creature comforts of home and that was just not easy here … do you know how important white non-sweet bread is to a pregnant girl from Oz? (laughs) Anyway in the end I loved being pregnant but it was a massive culture shock – now I had more that just myself and my husband Chris to consider. I contemplated going home … honestly what kept me here was I didn’t want to let down my new husband or my boss. I thought becoming a mother would change life the way I knew it but it didn’t, it just enhanced it. I just continued working and having fun. Bella just came with us … even to the occasional business meeting and expat poker game. We have two daughters now and they have the advantage of knowing another language and understanding that the world is a small place as all their friends come from all over the world. They think a plane flight is just like catching a bus … doesn’t everyone do it all the time? Ah, the expat kid! IAG: In your opinion how has Macau changed over the years since you arrived? KR: Over the last 10 years it has really changed in all sorts of ways. You know I am quite proud of Macau for accepting all of us westerners who suddenly came flooding in. We have been accepted graciously despite the fact that westerners bombarded Macau when all the new casinos opened, starting around 10 years ago. I think the thing that has changed the most is the local Macau people who have now embraced a lot more western culture. There are coffee shops everywhere now which is very important if you were one who lived here in the early days! There are still some frustrating things that probably should have been changed a long time ago but I’m happy that the Macanese like the new way of Macau. I understand some local people feel the city fast-forwarded too quickly in a way they weren’t ready for. For example, while wages have gone up the cost of living is crazy compared to what it used to be. I’ll tell you something I hear from friends who used to live in Macau and who have gone home. They say, “there is nowhere like Macau.” And they’re right. The Macau expat community is full of people who care for each other – that is a fact! IAG: Tell us a little about Paltronics. KR: Paltronics is famous for its jackpot management system. We also have gaming and non-gaming media interfaces. We take all of a company’s marketing content and place it throughout the entire venue. If a jackpot is triggered, we make sure it is promoted and celebrated across the whole property. We have all the different types of jackpots (links) that overlay the casino management system. In Australia Paltronics has about 35 staff in our Taren Point office and here in Macau there are four of us permanently. I have to give credit to Steve and the Paltronics Australian start up crew. when we started Paltronics we were really small and we had a major competitor that had 100% of the New South Wales market. In just a few short years we became number one in New South Wales – quite an achievement I say. … I was pulling beers in a pub in Auburn in Sydney. But as soon as I saw the gaming room that’s all I wanted to do. My husband-to-be was offered a senior executive job here in Macau with one of the large slots companies so I knew I was coming to Macau. Steve at Paltronics didn’t want me to leave the company, so I found myself opening up the Asian office for Paltronics.