TABLE GAMING SUPPLIES
Many of the benefits of digital technology and networking that have so transformed the slots and multiplayer segments are also having an impact on table gaming. The benefits of technology can be seen even in what appears on the surface to be a relatively low-tech, traditional casino supply product such as playing cards. Many casino grade cards now have highly complex manufacturing processes to reduce the risk of shoe malfunction or dealing errors.
Best Table Gaming Essential
This category covers cards and dice. In the table gaming-focused markets of Asia, it’s not surprising that operators unanimously chose playing cards as their nominated products in the Table Gaming Essential section.
Nominees:
| Manufacturer | Title |
| Angel Playing Cards |
Casino Angel pre-shuffled cards |
| Gemaco | Gem Pro Casino playing cards |
| United States Playing Card Company | KEM casino plastic cards |
Winner: Casino Angel pre-shuffled cards
In Asia, a large casino can use 10,000 card decks in a single day. Even a 0.1% inaccuracy rate in card printing or general manufacture would mean 10 faulty decks per day. That’s too many from a casino management’s viewpoint and from a regulator’s perspective. The accuracy of Angel’s pre-shuffled casino grade products makes the company the leader in the segment in Asia. Singapore’s two integrated resorts both exclusively chose Angel, and the company continues to dominate the Macau market.
Honourable Mention: United States Playing Card Company – KEM casino plastic cards
Best Table Utility Product
This category includes shoes, shufflers and chippers.
Nominees:
| Manufacturer | Title |
| Angel |
Angel Eye Shoe |
| Shuffle Master | Easy Chipper |
| Shuffle Master |
MD2 Shuffler |
| TCSJOHNHUXLEY | Chipper Champ Plus |
| USPCC | Bee Electronic Baccarat Dealing Shoe |
Winner: Shuffle Master – MD2 Shuffler
The MD2 Shuffler continues to set high standards in the regional industry for its ability to cope with high volumes of table play accurately and securely. It combines multideck batch shuffling with optical recognition of every card that passes through it. Its patented platform and gripper system dramatically reduces card wear-and-tear and ensures q u i e t e r ma c h i n e operation.
Honourable Mention: Angel – Angel Eye Shoe
Best Table Gaming Peripheral
Table peripherals include applications of sophisticated technology such as radio frequency identification (RFID) chips and plaques. They also include tableside displays that help players— especially Asian baccarat table players—follow one of their favourite pastimes: namely, trying to identify patterns in betting and outcomes.
Nominees:
| Manufacturer | Title |
| Dolphin |
RFID Chips |
| Gaming Partners International | Bourgogne & Grasset RFID plaques |
| Matsui | RFID chips |
| Matsui | MG Eye-MB chip authenticator |
Winner: Gaming Partners International – Bourgogne & Grasset RFID plaques
Gaming Partners International (GPI) is the dominant supplier of chips and plaques in the Macau and Singapore markets. The company has been a key player in the development of the modern Macau gaming market, first supplying chips to the territory’s former monopoly operator STDM nearly five decades ago. The company’s recent acquisition from IGT of the rights to Progressive Gaming’s RFID technology could lead to further innovation in the sector. In November, it was announced that GPI had been chosen to supply the casino at Galaxy Macau—the new Cotai resort opening on 15th May—with one million casino chips and plaques. The value of the order represents GPI’s largest single order for a new casino opening.
Honourable Mention: Matsui – RFID chips
Best Table Gaming Innovation
Selections for this category were made at the discretion of the judges, who were instructed to choose any product they felt had provided an outstanding contribution to the development of the Asian casino table gaming industry in the last year.
Nominees:
| Manufacturer | Title |
| DEQ Systems |
EZ Baccarat |
| Shuffle Master | i-Table |
| TCSJOHNHUXLEY | Omni Baccarat Display |
| Walker Digital | Perfect Pay baccarat |
Winner: TCSJOHNHUXLEY – Omni Baccarat Display
Table side baccarat displays are vital for Asian players who often bet according to perceived patterns in results. They also act as unofficial advertising boards, informing players some distance away at another table if some ‘lucky’ patterns are emerging. The displays, therefore, need to do simple things well. They need to be easy to read, robust, reliable, and easy to install and service. TCSJOHNHUXLEY’S Omni Baccarat Display fulfils these functions extremely well, according to the judges. It can display two languages at a time and comes pre-loaded with a variety of ‘skins’ for the graphics. It also has an easy to use colour coded pad for table staff to input results.
Honourable Mention: DEQ Systems – EZ Baccarat
