Vegas casinos likely to speak more ‘Asian

As Asian players become more important in Las Vegas' casinos, operators will not only take advantage of many pools of Asians living in the United States, but will also strengthen the use of Asian languages in games to attract more visitors from Asia, says a famous game scholar.

"There is definitely potential for this," David Schwartz, director of the Center for Game Research at the University of Las Vegas, Nevada, told GGRAcia.

Mr Schwartz said the trend was not new. "Most major casinos will have [Asian] language-speaking dealers. Many casinos have Asian-only game pits featuring games popular with Asian players."

Mr. Schwartz wrote an article titled "The Language of the Game" published in Vegas Seven magazine. There, he argued that casinos in Las Vegas tend to offer games in a bilingual format.

"The challenge now is to reach a previously undeveloped market as possible by playing games in a language other than English, whether in Chinese or Spanish. Casinos used to thrive on a wide middle floor, but now they are more focused on a variety of smaller groups," he wrote.

According to data from the U.S. National Travel and Tourism Administration, the total number of Chinese tourists visiting the U.S. increased 23 percent to 1.81 million in 2013.

Consulting firm HVS International said in a report released earlier this month that Las Vegas "must continue to adapt its language, products and services to suit the Chinese market." HVS added that game operators with operations in Asia and Las Vegas are already implementing cross-marketing because they can "benefit at Las Vegas's lower tax rate compared to the Asian market."

In May, Jeff Freeman, chairman and chief executive of the American Game Association, told GGRAcia that Asian casino operators were "absolutely welcome" in the United States.

According to the Las Vegas Visitor Profile Study 2013 published by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Bureau, the proportion of Las Vegas tourists who identify themselves as Asian or Asian American increased from 2% in 2009 to 12% in 2013.

Asked by GGRAcia about whether the use of Mandarin or other Asian languages in Las Vegas casino games could cause regulatory problems, Mr Schwartz said it depends on the language used.

"If dealers and sponsors are speaking languages that no one else can speak, there may be concerns about possible collusion. Having supervisors who make fluent speeches can avoid this problem," the scholar explained. 슬롯