Rashid Suliman, Vice President of Global Gaming Asia-Pacific for casino solutions provider TransAct Technologies, provides some insight into his unique life journey – one that has taken him from South Africa to Australia and, for the past 15 years, Macau.
Ben Blaschke: Thanks for speaking with IAG, Rash. Can you tell us about growing up and your memories of childhood?
Rashid Suliman: Thanks for having me Ben and the IAG team. I was born in Cape Town, South Africa in 1975. My folks owned a small takeaway shop and we lived upstairs from it. My early memories of that puts a smile on my face! I vaguely remember that when my parents weren’t watching I would raid the cash register of all the coins and spend them in the pinball and arcade machines we had. Asteroids and the KISS pinball machine – by Bally, funnily enough – were my go to machines. Come to think of it, that was the early beginnings for me in the gaming industry!
We then immigrated to Sydney, Australia in 1982 when my folks realized why the shop wasn’t making any money! Actually no, it was to get away from apartheid and build a better life for all of us – God bless them!
BB: I know you are an avid rugby league (NRL) fan. Did you follow or play much sport when you were young?
RS: I played soccer for the most part growing up. As you know, being a fellow New South Welshman, soccer was everywhere growing up, and I naturally gravitated towards that sport as every suburb had at least one club, so you were surrounded by the sport. Backyard cricket was my real love though, and I hold very fond memories playing that as a kid with friends and family. How you played a delivery that turned at almost right angles on a doctored backyard wicket was something to behold!
BB: Did you have any idea when you were younger around what you wanted to do career-wise?
RS: Out of all the far-fetched professions that came to mind, hotel management was one which I had my sights set on in my later teens, but I left that behind when my work began in the gaming industry straight out of school.
BB: And how did that come about?
RS: Actually, in my last year of school I started doing some casual work with a company called Casino Sign Pty Ltd. I then finished my schooling and went on to work for them fulltime. That company later became Mikohn Gaming Corporation – formed by John Acres and Mike Stone. The company was then restructured and renamed to Progressive Gaming International Corporation (PGIC). I ended up working for them for 10 years in which hotel management became a thing of the past and it was going to be 100% gaming industry for me.
I did take a year off after my 10 years at Mikohn though and went back to South Africa for a family holiday. After visiting family and roaming around the wilderness on a safari with my brothers in the Kruger National Park, I found myself again and we headed back to Sydney where I took a job in the building industry as an estimator. I wanted to try something different and although the people there were great and the job was somewhat interesting, it was in no way as exciting as what I experienced in the gaming industry.
A year into my spell there I received a call from an ex-colleague who was working at Ainsworth, and I took a role with them shortly after.
After two years at Ainsworth I went back to where it all began – signage – and took a role alongside my long-time friend David Iorio at Orion Art where I worked from 2006 to 2012. Those were some great years from what I can remember!
After a heartfelt “bye for now” at Orion, my time with Transact began, which saw me move from Sydney to Macau.
BB: In terms of being part of this industry, was it love at first sight?
RS: Not initially, but once I started on installations and getting out of the factory and office, that’s where I saw what the industry was all about and my love for the game kicked off.
BB: What do you remember most about your time prior to Transact.
RS: Well, it’s been one helluva ride mate. I’ve been extremely fortunate for every opportunity I’ve been given and do not take anything for granted. I try and wake up with a fortunate attitude every morning, and that’s what gets my day started right. I have so many good memories of that time, but I would have to say first coming to Macau in 2005 and witnessing first-hand the change towards what the country was to become.
BB: You’ve been with TransAct for almost 15 years now, so it seems to have been a good fit?
RS: Wow, that long already. You know what they say Ben – time flies when you’re having fun, and that is certainly the case with me. Transact has definitely been a good fit for me and hopefully will continue to be for many years to come.
BB: In your opinion, what have been the key changes in the industry in your time?
RS: The word “casino” in Latin literally translates to little house or cottage.
That’s a far cry from what we are seeing today. So, one of the biggest changes I’ve witnessed personally is the opening of the “integrated resorts” across the APAC region. From early in my career with the opening of Crown Casino in Melbourne to what we are seeing today here in Asia, these resorts and what they offer just keep getting bigger and better.
Technology has obviously also helped scale the industry to what we are seeing today and will continue to do so. With the advancement in artificial intelligence, augmented reality and virtual reality technologies, I’m particularly interested to see how that will change the game.
BB: You obviously travel around the region extensively. Do you have a favorite destination either for work or just relaxation?
RS: For relaxation I’d have to say Thailand, but for work I don’t really have a favorite destination to travel to. We work with some really great people all over Asia and that’s what keeps me going with a smile on my face. I really do enjoy the “thrill of the fight” in business, but more so the people I deal with on a day-to-day basis. That is what really keeps me coming back for more.
BB: When you do get a break, what do you like to do to relax?
RS: Catching up with loved ones and anything close to a beach works just fine for me for relaxation and serenity. A few hours here and there in the gym followed by a nice cold beer seems to help with the stress levels as well.
