Q&A: Kelvin Chiu, Asia Gaming, sales director
Chiu tells EGR which Asian markets are fastest growing and why products must be tailored to each country
It’s been a couple of busy weeks for Asia-facing B2B casino supplier Asia Gaming. The firm recently signed a distribution deal with fellow supplier Habanero and more recently launched a new game to mark the start of the Chinese New Year.
EGR caught up with the firm’s sales director Kelvin Chiu at he recent ICE exhibition to discuss the hot Asian markets and why European operators should consider teaming up with an Asian firm before entering the region.
eGaming Review (EGR): Which are the most important and fastest-growing markets for Asia Gaming?
Kelvin Chiu (KC): We are a B2B provider so it all comes down to which markets the operators are targeting. But the highest growth we see right now is in Korea and Japan. Asia Gaming will focus on building games for these markets and also offer Live Casino with Korean and Japanese dealers.
EGR: Why is it important to tailor the online experience specifically to Asian players?
KC: All countries in Asia are different so Asia Gaming tailors the experience for each market. A player is always more comfortable with using gaming products that they recognise, and this is the same for every region. However, for the Asian market, it is even more important because you have to earn the player’s trust, and it is easier to build trust with a local experience.
EGR: What slots and games are particularly popular to Asian players?
KC: The number one game is Live Dealer Baccarat, and it is unlikely that will ever change. However, the growth in RNG games such as slot games is even greater than Live Dealer. Asia Gaming is such a big company that we can keep focus on both products.
EGR: Operators including Betfair and William Hill have rolled-out dedicated online Macau casinos, is this a sign that European operators are waking up to the opportunity offered by Asian customers?
KC: Indeed it is and we at Asia Gaming are delighted that they have finally realised that this is an important region. However, we fear that the European operators will simply use European companies to produce Asian gaming products instead of Asian companies such as ourselves, who know the market. Our strong advice for anyone in Europe targeting Asian players is to partner up with an Asian company.
EGR: What does Asia Gaming have planned for the coming months?
KC: We are releasing a lot of new third-party slot games via our RNG partner, XIN Gaming. We know for sure that they will be a hit since we can easily push them out to our existing operators, so it’s just a question of exactly how successful they will be. For Live Dealer, we have a couple of aces up our sleeves that we can’t talk about yet but, when we do, it will be big news.