The GameSource electronic game platform, launched by Macau-based International Alliance Systems Ltd., started market trials at MGM Macau in October, Managing Director Lam Iao tells GGRAsia.
GameSource is a cloud-based platform offering a library of electronic games—currently, from RTG Asia, August Gaming, EPICONE and Laxino Systems Ltd.—to land-based casinos.
“We have a library of about 80 games already,” but only nine available at MGM Macau, which “wanted to test the waters.”
Iao said the product should “turn into revenue-generation mode—play for money—in January 2019.” Players currently win points on four terminals and four handheld portable devices on trial at the property.
“This is a very innovative approach,” Iao said. “We have a designated area within a controlled and secured land-based environment, to simulate a ‘new-generation playing experience.’”
Iao says GameSource makes it easy for independent third-party content developers to make their games available. “The whole ecosystem created allows to open up the market, so that any developer that has a creative mindset and can develop new content, can pretty much use our modules to build a game and place it there.
“For a particular game to get certification, the success rate is up to 95 percent, because we partnered with BMM to build the platform,” Iao said, referring to BMM Testlabs.
Iao said feedback from MGM Macau “has been great” so far. “We have captured some very interesting data, helping the operator to successfully identify new market segments. If it works nicely in MGM Macau, they will bring it into MGM Cotai. We are also in discussions with two other gaming operators in Macau.”
International Alliance Systems is also planning to export GameSource to the U.S. and Europe. But other Asian jurisdictions are out for now. “We could have just rolled it out in a not-so-regulated casino market three years ago. Why didn’t we do that? Because we want to do it right, and at the highest standard.”
Iao said the product represents four years in the development pipeline and an investment of HKD200 million (US$25.5 million). “The Macau government has been giving us its support since day one, when we created this project, because they understand that this is a Macau product,” he added.
