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The
Business Times, 23 Jun 04
Casinos show sees plenty of interest
By Joyce Koh
FROM virtual derby races to glittering jackpot machines, the two-day
Asian Casinos Expo (ACE) - which is said to be the biggest in its
nine-year history - yesterday brought the sights and sounds of the
casino to Singapore. This is all thanks to the growing interest in
the gaming industry, as governments in Asia set their sights on the
lucrative possibilities of setting up casinos in their backyards.
Yesterday's conference saw visitors from countries like India, South
Korea and Vietnam check out gaming machines they can buy for casinos
back home. They also attended seminars on wide-ranging topics such
as 'Asia - on the verge of explosive growth' or 'Opportunities and
threats for the land-based operator'.
According to Patricia Cheong, project manager of Terrapin, the organiser
of the event, about 1,000 people from all over Asia are expected to
attend ACE. Ms Cheong noted that exhibition space for the event, held
at Raffles City Convention Centre, has doubled from the previous year
as a result of the higher demand from exhibitors.
One such exhibitor eager to display his wares was Daveen Tay, general
manager of Weike Pte Ltd, a local company that designs and manufactures
gaming machines. Judging from the surge in gaming interest from the
region, Mr Tay said he wants to increase the production of gaming
machines from 300 to 1,000 a month in the next two years. 'Everything
is changing in Asia, and there are a lot of opportunities here,' said
Mr Tay.
Some delegates say it is not only business opportunities that beckons,
but social ones, too. William Britto, chairman of Chances Casino and
Club in Goa, India, operates the only casino in India. He said the
casino provides large spin-off benefits for his state by way of higher
wages and better business for restaurants, hotels and shops.
Still, Mr Britto acknowledges the dangers of gambling and says he
tries to steer locals away from his casino. 'We have a special counselling
unit to identify local people who are likely to be compulsive gamblers.
We target the tourists because when you are a tourist, there is a
tendency to spend to enjoy yourself. 'After you return home, you go
back to your normal routine,' said Mr Britto. |
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