Macau is one of the fastest-growing gambling markets in the world. Luxury casinos are popping up all over the city, and gaming operators are preparing for an influx of tourists – but they may not be able to keep up with the demand for pokies. According to Innovate Gaming, casinos across Macau are in need of thousands of new pokies in order to satisfy player needs.
Macau Polytechnic Institute recently published a report on the issue which found that the market will need 7000 pokies per year until 2017. More and more visitors are coming to Macau, and the demand for poker machines will only increase as the destination becomes more popular among tourists. Unfortunately, the number of pokies available in the city is on the decline.
Data from the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau found that the Macau’s pokie numbers dropped by 10% in 2013. In the first quarter of the year, the city hosted 16 406 pokies. By the end of the third quarter, there were just 14 777 pokies in the city. In addition to needing new pokies, Macau casino operators want more innovative games from providers.
The city is changing the face of gambling on an international level, so it is no wonder that players want to see something new and different from poker machine manufacturers. Zeng Zhonglu, a professor at the Polytechnic Institute, notes that Southeast Asian players are interested in seeing new innovations from pokie providers. “This technology is changing very fast, so there are many opportunities down the road,” he says.
“Older technology may not be useful.” Macau is a market that pokie providers want to break into, so they will certainly aim to meet this demand. Be prepared to see bigger and better innovations from poker machine developers like IGT, Aristocrat, WMS and Konami.
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