TLDR
- Industry suppliers at G2E Asia said regulatory obstacles continue to slow technology adoption across Asia-Pacific gaming markets
- Light & Wonder and Aristocrat executives called for closer collaboration between gaming companies and regulators during product development
- Cashless payment technology in casinos remains clunky due to regulatory processes, not the technology itself
- Philippine land-based operators launching online platforms under PAGCOR’s PIGO scheme are struggling because they lack in-house digital expertise
- Experts warned that operators using white-label providers to run online businesses risk losing control of their most valuable asset — the customer database
The Asia-Pacific gaming industry is facing a familiar problem. Technology exists to modernize casino operations, but regulatory barriers and internal capability gaps keep getting in the way.
That was the message from a panel at the G2E Asia event held on Wednesday, where executives from some of the industry’s biggest suppliers said more needs to change before the region can catch up.
Jamie Dorbian, managing director for international at Light & Wonder, said gaming companies need to do a better job of working with regulators early in the product development process. He said the industry’s tendency to keep new projects under wraps often backfires when those products reach the approval stage.
Dorbian pointed to cashless payments as a clear example. Consumers routinely use their phones to pay for groceries, coffee, and transport. But inside some casinos, the cashless experience remains awkward and complicated.
He said the problem is not the technology. It is the regulatory framework around it.
Regulators Struggling to Keep Up
Kurt Gissane, chief revenue officer at Aristocrat, echoed those concerns. He said gaming is one of the most heavily regulated industries in the world, but the barriers in Asia-Pacific are steeper than in other regions.
Gissane said this is especially true for online gaming. He noted that the technology already exists in markets like Australia, Singapore, and Macau. But what operators can actually do with it remains limited by regulation.
Both executives suggested that regulators may not fully understand some of the technologies they are responsible for overseeing. They argued that this knowledge gap is slowing down the practical use of new tools inside gaming operations.
The conversation also turned to a different kind of obstacle — one that comes from inside the companies themselves.
Shaun McCamley, president of Euro Pacific Asia Consulting and founder of social gaming platform GameWorkz, said operators in the Philippines are struggling with online expansion. Many land-based integrated resort operators have launched digital platforms under PAGCOR’s PIGO licensing scheme.
But McCamley said most of them are not set up to succeed.
Operators Lack Digital Know-How
He said the core issue is that many land-based operators across the region have very little understanding of how to run a digital business. Some hand their online operations to casino teams, who treat them like an extension of the gaming floor.
Others place digital under IT departments because they view it as a technology product. Some put it under casino marketing and treat it as a branding exercise. McCamley said none of those structures work.
He argued that digital operations need to be run as an independent department, staffed by people with experience managing a standalone business. Without that, he said, failure is the likely outcome.
McCamley also warned against the use of white-label operators. He said many companies turn to third-party providers because boards and shareholders want fast results.
But that approach comes with a major cost. By handing operations to an outside provider, the operator gives away its most important asset — the customer database. McCamley said that turns a potential advantage into a liability because the operator no longer controls it.
The technology to modernize Asia-Pacific gaming is available, but the path forward depends on regulatory reform and stronger internal capabilities at the operator level.
