Jul 17, 2014 Newsdesk Latest News, Top of the deck, World  
As Asian players become more important for casinos in Las Vegas, it is likely that operators will strengthen the use of Asian languages in games, not only to tap into the large pool of Asians living in the U.S. but also to attract more visitors from Asia, says a leading gaming scholar.
“There is definitely the potential for this,” David Schwartz, the director of the Centre for Gaming Research at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, told GGRAsia.
Mr Schwartz said the trend is not new. “Most of the major casinos will have dealers who can speak [Asian] languages – many have dedicated Asian gaming pits featuring games that are popular with Asian players.”
Last month, Mr Schwartz penned an article titled “The Language(s) of Gaming”, published in Vegas Seven magazine. There, he argued there is a trend in Las Vegas for casinos to offer games in a bilingual format.
“Now the challenge is to reach previously untapped markets, something that can be done by conducting games in a language other than English, whether it’s Mandarin or Spanish. Casinos used to prosper by catering to the broad middle; now they are catering with greater focus to a variety of smaller groups,” he wrote.
The number of Chinese tourists to the U.S. as a whole rose 23 percent to 1.81 million in 2013, according to data from the U.S. National Travel and Tourism Office.
Consulting firm HVS International Inc said in a report issued earlier this month that Las Vegas “should continue to tailor language, products and services to the Chinese market”. HVS added that gaming operators with operations in both Asia and in Las Vegas are already “implementing cross-marketing, as these operators can benefit from lower tax rates in Las Vegas versus Asian markets”.
In May, the president and chief executive of the American Gaming Association, Geoff Freeman, told GGRAsia that Asian casino operators were “absolutely welcome” in the United States.
The percentage of tourists to Las Vegas identifying themselves as Asian or Asian American has risen to 12 percent in 2013 from only two percent in 2009, according to the Las Vegas Visitor Profile Study 2013, published by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
Asked by GGRAsia if the usage of Mandarin or any other Asian language in casino games in Las Vegas may raise regulatory issues, Mr Schwartz said it depended on the language used.
“If the dealer and patron are speaking a language that no one else can, there may be concerns over possible collusion. Having supervisors who are also fluent speakers can circumvent this problem,” the scholar explained.
Jun 02, 2023
Jun 01, 2023
Jun 02, 2023
Jun 02, 2023
Jun 02, 2023
Genting Singapore Ltd says Lam Yi Young has resigned from his role as deputy chief executive of Resorts World at Sentosa Pte Ltd. The latter firm is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Genting...Jun 01, 2023
Alfastreet, a manufacturer of electronic gaming machines,...Jun 01, 2023
Casino equipment maker Sega Sammy Creation Inc is tweaking...Jun 01, 2023
The iGaming segment in Asia “has grown rapidly” since...May 31, 2023
Showing slot machine players – via animations on the...May 31, 2023
Macau stocks in likelihood “have been punished too much...May 31, 2023
There are foreign companies still interested in investing...May 31, 2023
Thailand could pass the necessary enabling legislation for...May 30, 2023
China will remain a key market for Asian gaming...May 30, 2023
Alejandro Tengco (pictured in a file photo), chairman and...May 30, 2023
There are “plenty of reasons” for the global gaming...May 30, 2023
Gaming equipment provider International Game Technology Plc...May 30, 2023
The Global Gaming Expo (G2E) Asia 2023 Special Edition:...May 29, 2023
Austria-based gaming equipment maker and operator Novomatic...May 25, 2023
Sports betting and online casino operating platform...May 24, 2023
The business performance in Asia of gaming content and...May 18, 2023
The organisers of Global Gaming Expo (G2E) Asia 2023...May 17, 2023
Gaming content and equipment supplier Light & Wonder...May 16, 2023
Casino equipment maker Sega Sammy Creation Inc is to...May 09, 2023
Casino slot machine and digital gaming content provider...May 05, 2023
The Global Gaming Expo (G2E) Asia event in Singapore is the...May 04, 2023
An adviser to a Thailand parliamentary committee mulling...(Click here for more)
US$8.1 billion
Macau’s casino gross gaming revenue in the five months to May 31