Passionate players mean wear and tear for Macau slots
Chinese players are noted for their passion when it comes to table games. Anyone spending more than five minutes on a mass-market floor in Macau quickly becomes familiar with the ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ of players and spectators, the card squeezing that goes on before a hand is revealed and the emphatic sound of a winning player banging down his or her cards on the table.
It turns out the same degree of passion is exhibited by Macau slots players. But whereas a baccarat player in his pomp may just squeeze his way through a few packs of cards in the course of an hour’s play, the passionate slot player can put thousands of US dollars worth of sophisticated slot machine at risk with his or her antics.
“Here in Macau if players lose money they will punch the screen or even throw soft drink in the bill acceptor,” an industry insider tells Inside Asian Gaming.
The source adds that such aggression is very specifically directed at the machines not at the attendants or other patrons.
“When a player loses at a table game, they may feel resentful towards the dealer, thinking that somehow the dealer has been ‘unlucky’ for them. But they would never dream of shouting at the dealer or hitting them. With the machines it’s a different story,” states the insider.
“A few very passionate players will try to damage your machine as much as they can if they lose. They might even put chewing gum in the slots.”
The insider says that creates market-specific challenges for the design of game hardware.
“As a manufacturer you have to think about how easily the machine can be cleaned. For example, if you have an upright cabinet, you might want to avoid moulded features or avoid slot apertures that expose too much of the peripherals’ electronics. If you have a sit down or console style cabinet, do you want to have a cup holder and if so, what kind of design? A moulded integral design can create a reservoir for free standing liquid such as sugary cola. That may not be what you want if you have players that get over excited if they lose.
“You also need a sophisticated monitor so that if a player punches it, it doesn’t go crazy. There’s a lot of hard work in developing a good product. It’s not like selling a mobile phone—a one-time sell and bye bye,” adds the source.
The insider says that creates market-specific challenges for the design of game hardware.
“As a manufacturer you have to think about how easily the machine can be cleaned. For example, if you have an upright cabinet, you might want to avoid moulded features or avoid slot apertures that expose too much of the peripherals’ electronics. If you have a sit down or console style cabinet, do you want to have a cup holder and if so, what kind of design? A moulded integral design can create a reservoir for free standing liquid such as sugary cola. That may not be what you want if you have players that get over excited if they lose.
“You also need a sophisticated monitor so that if a player punches it, it doesn’t go crazy. There’s a lot of hard work in developing a good product. It’s not like selling a mobile phone—a one-time sell and bye bye,” adds the source.
