Canadian gaming supplier DEQ Systems Corp and LT Game Ltd on Thursday announced a cross-border partnership to deliver DEQ’s no commission EZ Baccarat game on LT Game’s Live Multi Game (LMG) systems worldwide. Under the deal, LT Game will also distribute the traditional live table game version of EZ Baccarat in Asia Pacific.
Macau-based gaming supplier LT Game is a subsidiary of Hong Kong-listed Paradise Entertainment Ltd, headed by Jay Chun.
It is the first time EZ Baccarat will be available on electronic terminals and also marks the first time the table game will be widely distributed in Asia Pacific regional markets including Macau, Australia and Cambodia, according to a press release. The game’s creators say it can deliver more hands per hour than traditional live dealer baccarat, by eliminating the commission system used in the traditional format.
In Macau, the game is currently available in live table version (pictured) at the MGM Macau and Wynn Macau casino-hotels.
“Our new distribution agreement with DEQ to bring the popular EZ Baccarat game to our LMGs and as a new table game offering in the Asia-Pacific market reflects our initiatives to further address the changing table game demands and preferences of the marketplace,” Mr Chun said in a statement.
He added: “We believe the entertainment value that the EZ Baccarat game brings to players in North America, as evidenced by its large installed player positions and steadily growing popularity, will translate successfully to both our LMG offering and as a standard table game product for casino operators in the Asia Pacific market.”
According to the announcement, LT Game has around 3,900 LMG terminals installed worldwide, 3,600 of which are in casinos in Macau. They offer several casino games including baccarat, via a live dealer but with electronic bet settlement.
EZ Baccarat is a baccarat brand with over 7,000 player positions to date, the release said. “The game accounts for over 90 percent of the baccarat market in California and has an established and growing presence in Las Vegas, Vancouver, Canada and throughout North America,” it added.
Enhanced market penetration
“This agreement will enhance the market penetration of our EZ Baccarat game by making it available on [LT Game’s] LMG systems worldwide and table game positions in Asia,” said DEQ president and chief executive, Joseph Bertolone.
Robin Powell, co-creator of EZ Baccarat, added: “Our partnership with LT Game enables us to bring EZ Baccarat to the largest baccarat mass market in the world.”
Mass baccarat gross gaming revenue in Macau was MOP106.5 billion (US$13.3 billion) in 2014, up by 16 percent compared with the previous year. But revenue has been dropping in recent months, as Macau’s casino industry is experiencing its worse post-gaming liberalisation crisis. Casino gross gaming revenue in Macau has dropped for 10 consecutive months as measured in year-on-year terms. March was the second-worst monthly decline on record after the February drop.
Baccarat is also widely popular in other Asian gaming markets as it is favoured by Chinese gamblers.
DEQ and LT Game had already announced last year an agreement for the distribution of DEQ’s products throughout the Asia Pacific region. Under the deal, LT Game International (Australia) Ltd, a subsidiary of LT Game, would distribute DEQ’s G3 table bonus system and tabletop products through the end of 2016 as the initial term.
In August 2014, LT Game signed a three-year distribution agreement with U.S.-based gaming supplier International Game Technology (IGT) for North America and Macau. Under the terms of the agreement, IGT would distribute LT Game’s live and electronic table game systems in the U.S. and Canada, while LT Game would serve as distributor for IGT’s slot machines in the Macau market.
IGT has meanwhile been acquired by Italy-based lottery technology and services specialist GTech SpA after a US$6.4 billion cross-border merger. The two companies officially became one business on Tuesday, using the IGT brand name,
Paradise Entertainment reported a 36 percent decline in profit during 2014 despite a near 16 percent rise in revenue.
DEQ is listed on Canada’s TSX Venture Exchange, a public venture capital marketplace for emerging companies. The firm provides table-game-bonusing technology, table games, baccarat results tracking and jackpot connectivity solutions to more than 300 casinos in 30 countries.
EZ Baccarat accelerates the speed of play by eliminating the commission. Players can also make optional side wagers called Dragon 7 and Panda 8. The Dragon 7 is when the Banker wins with a total of seven consisting of three cards and pays 40 to 1. The Panda 8 is when the Player wins with a total of eight consisting of three cards and pays 25 to 1.
