IGT gains Macau approval for three more slot games

Macau’s casino regulator has approved three more slot titles from gaming equipment supplier IGT, including two games designed for the company’s RISE55 cabinet. The Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau listed the approvals for “Treasure Blast Balloon”, “San Xing Gao Zhao – Fu Qi Chong Tian” and “Magic Rockets Tiger” under IGT Asia – Macau Ltd, with an approval date of October 30. All three versions comply with Macau’s technical standard for electronic gaming machines. The versions of San Xing Gao Zhao – Fu Qi Chong Tian and Magic Rockets Tiger also comply with the city’s jackpot-system standard, per the notice. The approvals allow the specified versions to be supplied in the Macau market. There has been no public announcement of an installation date or the number of machines that might be deployed. Magic Rockets Tiger is one of two themes IGT lists for its “Magic Rockets” series on the RISE55 cabinet, alongside a “Dragon” version. The series combines the three-pot feature from the supplier’s “Magic Treasures” games with elements of its “Rising Rockets” series. Treasure Blast Balloon, also designed for the RISE55, is a portrait-screen video slot inspired by Spielo’s “Zuma Slots”. IGT describes it as featuring a jackpot system with a persistence mechanic. The regulator had already cleared a version of its companion title, “Treasure Blast Fleet”, on September 24. IGT presented the San Xing Gao Zhao Link family at the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) Asia trade show in Macau in May, where it was billed as a three-pot game aimed at Asian markets and shown on the PeakCurve49 cabinet. The October approval is for a newer version of “Fu Qi Chong Tian”; an earlier version of the same title was listed as approved on January 30. The October approvals followed five IGT game approvals in late September. Those included “Magic Treasures Gold Empress”, “Firework Link Enchanted Moon” and two other “San Xing Gao Zhao” themes, in addition to “Treasure Blast Fleet”. The latest approvals come as IGT seeks to strengthen its position in Macau and the wider Asian casino gaming market. In a May interview with GGRAsia, IGT chief executive, Hector Fernandez, identified Asia as a key growth opportunity for the company, highlighting the performance of its “Rising Rockets” product in Macau. He said the supplier was adopting a more selective approach to game development for the region, focusing on a smaller number of titles with strong commercial potential rather than introducing a broad portfolio of products.