Inside Asian Gaming

IAG JAPAN APR 2019 60 FEATURES BB: It’s been about 18 months now since APE listed on the Growth Enterprise Market of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. How important has that been for the company’s development? HN: It has made a big difference for us. It has allowed us to invest more capital into the business which has therefore allowed us to expand further outside of Macau. It has also done a lot in terms of getting the name of Asia Pioneer Entertainment out there. People are more aware of who we are and what we do now. BB: Are there plans to list on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange? HN: It is something we’re considering. We haven’t made a decision on that yet but we’re still discussing. We will probably make a decision on that sometime in 2019. BB: APE has spoken before about its plans to expand further into Asia. In what countries does APE currently conduct significant business? HN: Well Macau is still our biggest market but we have seen some strong interest across Southeast Asia over the past year or so. Macau was a little bit slower last year but there have been some openings in Cambodia and there is more coming up both there and in Vietnam later this year. BB: So those are the two countries where you see the greatest opportunity for expansion? HN: Yes, to an extent. There is still some opportunity in Macau. There are two new casinos in Cotai due to open by 2020 – Grand Lisboa Palace and Lisboeta – which can bring new opportunities to APE because Macau has slowed down a little bit since we had all those openings close together a few years ago. But I think Southeast Asia is growing quicker. There are a couple of new casinos opening in Vietnam this year including Hoiana, which is being developed by Hoi An South Development. Hoiana Casino will be managed by Suncity Group Management and Consultancy Ltd (SGMC), which is under Suncity Group Holdings. Suncity has also signed up with casinos in countries like Cambodia, Vietnam, Russia and Korea. We’re seeing some strong demand for ETGs in Vietnam. Also, Cambodia has quite a lot happening in Sihanoukville and a few other places. Those are the places we are conducting a lot of new business right now. We are also receiving more enquires for the leasing of EGMs in all of those markets – the Philippines, Cambodia and Vietnam. BB: Macau’s gaming industry is obviously dominated by table games. What are your thoughts on the state of the EGM market in Macau right now? HN: EGMs comprise only a small part of Macau’s gaming floors, but they are very big floors. Even though table games are the driving force, the EGM market is still quite large which I think people sometimes forget when they think about Macau. We are also seeing steady growth in the mass market sector and our clients – the six casino operators – are looking for new ways to serve this sector which provides a great opportunity for companies like APE because EGMs and ETGs are a great way to do so. It’s also why a product like “Fortune Cup” which I mentioned earlier has so much potential. The operators are looking for new and exciting products that stand out on the casino floor which opens the door for us to provide what they are looking for. It’s all about giving them something new and exciting.