Peter Johns, Chief Commercial Officer for IDX Games, recounts his career journey from the north of Wales to the busy streets of Hong Kong and – quite literally – everywhere in between.
Ben Blaschke: Can you tell us a bit about your background? Where did you grow up and what are your childhood memories?
Peter Johns: I was born in North Wales in the UK, into a world of hospitality, entertainment and gambling. My parents ran hotels and clubs during an era when North Wales was the weekend destination for Mods on scooters and bikers on motorbikes.
My father was the eternal entertainer, who loved clubs and casinos. He’d be out most nights and never missed the horse races on weekends. That’s where I learned firsthand about the gambler’s life and its many follies.
In the early 1970s, we lived in Wigan. My dad was involved with a group working on the Wigan Casino development, I believe “casino” only survived in the name – the place became a well-known club – but as a kid I listened to Dad’s stories and imagined James Bond–style glamor and high-roller sophistication.
The pub in Wigan had a fruit machine that absolutely fascinated me – the spinning reels, the lights, the mechanical precision. One day, I broke into it with a coat hanger to get free credits and tinker with its electro-mechanical guts. From that moment on, I was hooked – not just on playing, but on understanding how these machines worked.
BB: How did you first enter the world of electronic gaming?
PJ: My First job was with a company that operated amusement halls and supplied jukeboxes, fruit machines and pool tables to pubs, clubs and casinos. Over the seven years I was there, I learned everything about slots, gaming and electronics. It was the heyday of “Pac Man”, “Asteroids” and “Space Invaders”.
BB: Was it love at first sight? What were your early impressions of the industry?
PJ: One day, I saw an ad for croupiers and slot techs on cruise ships sailing out of Miami, Florida. Cruising the Caribbean sounded like a dream, so I applied, got the job and headed to Miami. I experienced the 1980s in Miami at full tilt and work that took me around the world. The company I worked for was actually an agent for Bally in the electro-mechanical era, and we fitted out a lot of ships, working on the daily cruise casinos of the time.
I got to sail the east and west coasts of the USA, Mexico and the Caribbean, Europe and Asia. It really did feel like a dream job.
BB: Do you have a favorite location in which you’ve been based previously, and why?
PJ: There are a few to choose from. In 1987, I was working aboard the MS Fairstar out of Sydney which was sailing around the South Pacific and Asia. I thought Australia was one of the best places I’d ever lived and worked.
Then, one day, I saw an ad in a yacht magazine seeking crew for a yacht sailing to South Africa – another dream of mine. I didn’t hesitate: I packed up and went.
I spent time travelling through Africa and worked briefly at Sun City in South Africa. I eventually reached Harare, Zimbabwe, which became a sort of travel base until I finally ran out of cash and flew back to the UK around 1990.
I joined Carnival Cruise Line Casinos in mid-1990 and stayed for around five years. I ended up overseeing several ships in the fleet, including ship refits in Italy and Finland, before heading back to Sydney in 1995.
Moving back to Sydney was very deliberate because Sydney Harbour Casino was preparing to open, but I met someone in the club industry who talked me into joining a new club he was building. He turned out to be one of the best mentors I’ve ever had. I ended up staying 10 years and finished up as COO in 2005.
In 2004 I visited Macau when Sands opened, to have a look around. It was during a typhoon, and I had to take a rickshaw to the ferry after fighting my way out of the Old Lisboa. Finding a taxi in Macau hasn’t changed since then! I swore I’d never come back but, of course, I did.
In early 2006, I was asked to help open some of Galaxy’s City Clubs venues. I moved there around March, and my family joined me in July.
Later that year, I made the switch to MGM, helping design and open the Macau property, and called on some of my old crew from Sydney to join.
In 2010 the economy was shifting, so I jumped back over and helped open Galaxy Macau on Cotai, making a huge impact in the EGM space and putting slots firmly on the map for Galaxy, who had previously been unconvinced about their potential. I went on to open Phase 2 of Galaxy Macau before leaving in February 2016.
After about a year off, I returned to Macau in a consulting role for Macau Legend, working on their Laos refurbishment project, their Cape Verde project and an online platform
BB: How did the IDX opportunity come about?
PJ: In mid 2019, I started consulting to IdNerd Studio, looking at how to expand their footprint into the gaming space by developing a smart tables suite. I’d known the company and the team since around 2010 – they produced all the opening digital content for MGM in Macau and later worked with us at Galaxy as well. They had already changed the ETG landscape in Macau with X Stadium, driving a huge uplift in engagement, and were supplying digital content to most of the city’s casinos.
Our idea was simple but ambitious: bring tables to life, make them fun again and use that energy to drive side bets – something many table operators said would never really work in Macau.
BB: For those who may not be completely familiar with IDX, tell us a bit about the company.
PJ: We launched IDX Games in November 2019. Our motto is, “Creating innovative concepts and products that keep customers engaged for today and tomorrow’s entertainment businesses”.
We started with the humble trend board but have developed a lot more than that since. We wanted to create content and features on tables that would actively drive customer behavior and long term engagement. Once we had proven that our features and graphics generated more excitement and increased play on side bets, we moved into the next phase: monetizing trend boards even more by developing a full range of bonus and jackpot games. We launched those this year at G2E Asia.
We have around 25 dedicated team members here in the new offices in Hong Kong and a few that work remotely in other parts of the globe, including artists, designers, animators and programmers for all aspects of table games technology. For us, collaboration and innovation go hand in hand. They sit alongside honesty, respect and diversification as our key company pillars.
BB: What does an average workday look like for Peter Johns?
PJ: A “typical” day usually starts with customers. I spend a lot of time talking to new and existing clients. There’s also a constant stream of planning around marketing and trade shows that pop up around the globe.
Once that’s under control, I focus on product: working with the team on new game ideas, features and concepts. We’re lucky to have a showroom in Hong Kong where we can prototype, test and refine. We regularly invite groups in to play, give feedback and, importantly, try to break things. When you build customer centric software, it’s vital that customers are part of the development and testing cycle.
BB: What do you enjoy most about the job and being part of this industry?
PJ: For me, it always comes back to people and reactions. I enjoy the interaction with both players and operators. Watching players discover and respond to a new game or feature still gives me the same buzz it did years ago. Seeing someone stop, smile and engage with something you and your team have built – whether it’s a side bet, a bonus feature or a giant display in a lobby – that’s incredibly satisfying.
BB: What are some of the key trends and innovations you are seeing in the industry right now?
PJ: One obvious trend is the explosion of side bets on baccarat. Everyone seems to be jumping on it. We’ve been highlighting side bet potential in our software since 2016, so I like to think we had a small hand in pushing that wave along.
The new trend growing now is table jackpots. We released a lot of innovative options for table jackpots at G2E Asia in May, especially with the spread of smarter technology into table games.
Our approach is to put a new spin on the game by adding features that genuinely change how players think about their decisions. That helps operators differentiate their product on the floor.
Take our newest game, “Power Play”, as an example. “Power Play” is a fast action feature that offers a punchy side bet after players see the first four cards. Have we taken the guesswork out of baccarat? Not at all – you can still squeeze, sweat and blow on your cards to your heart’s content. But if there’s no natural win, or the cards aren’t what you hoped for, we present a new side bet based on a dynamic pay-table that pays up to 5.5 to 1 for correctly picking the outcome of the next card. It’s fast, simple to grasp and very exciting in practice.
BB: Finally Peter, what do you like to do outside of work to relax?
PJ: I enjoy good coffee, good food and finding great places where the two meet.
I like to get outdoors, hike and travel. Most weekends and evenings in Hong Kong you’ll find me walking my dogs, enjoying the cool night air and sea breeze, or sitting outside somewhere when the weather cooperates.
Travel is still very much in my blood, so I often head around Asia. Japan – especially Hokkaido – is a favorite, not just for the snow but for all four seasons. I love the clean air, the space, the onsens and the chance to slow down a bit.
When I want to completely unwind, I’ll head to Thailand and relax by a pool somewhere quiet. Anywhere with fewer crowds, a peaceful setting and good food will always get my vote.
