The rousing success of the third annual Global Gaming Expo Asia (G2E Asia) earlier this month highlights the explosion of growth in the Asian gambling markets.  The trade conference was held June 2-4 at the Venetian Macau and drew gaming professionals from all over Asia.

This year’s expo featured exhibits from 135 companies from 20 regions including Australia, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam. More than 4,300 gambling professionals turned out to see the exhibits and attend the various forums and seminars dedicated to exploring the current and future states of Asian gaming. Of that number, roughly 40% were from Macau with the rest from the other regions represented.

During the opening ceremonies, Stanley Ho was presented with this year’s G2E Visionary Award. Ho’s company, SJM, operates 19 out of Macau’s 32 casinos. This is the second year for the Visionary Award which is giving to those who have led the way and laid the foundation for the phenomenal rise of gambling in the Asian markets.

“There is no question that G2E Asia is the most important event for the Asian gaming industry,” said the vice president of Jumbo Technology Co. Ltd, Simon Lai, “It continues to be a very effective platform for us to meet with our customers in Macau as well as from the other Asian markets. And at this challenging time, we find more value in participating in this event than ever.”