IGT to supply machines to IR?

MACAU - THE world's biggest slot-machine maker International Game Technology (IGT) said on Tuesday it is in talks with Las Vegas Sands and Genting International to supply slot machines for Singapore's two upcoming casinos.

'We expect the market share (in Singapore) to be higher than Macau,' Mr Kurt Quartier, vice-president of IGT's international casino markets, told Reuters on the sidelines of a gaming conference in Macau.

Macau's market for slot machine has seen 'almost no activity', Mr Quartier said. 'People will change a few machines but a lot of operators are preserving cash.'

The firm's outlook on Macau will improve once casino operators resume building their projects, he said.

Quartier declined to be more specific, but said its market share in Singapore would be less than 50 per cent. IGT has a market share of less than 20 per cent in Macau. It competes with Australian machine maker Aristocrat Leisure, which has about a 55 per cent share of Macau's slot market.

Sands is building a US$5.4 billion (S$7.77 billion) mega-casino resort in Singapore, which is set to be ready by late 2009 or early 2010.

Malaysia casino operator Genting Bhd's unit, Genting International is developing Resorts World, which is located on the Singapore resort-island of Sentosa. -- REUTERS