Doug Bonjour is a veteran sportswriter with more than a decade of experience, including in the realm of sports betting. He’s written for the New York Times, Associated Press, CBS Sports and Hearst Connecticut Media...
Read Full BioLT Game is feeling the effects of the intensifying tariff war between the United States and China.
As reported on Inside Asian Gaming, the Macau-based game supplier announced last week that it has suspended the sale of gaming equipment in the US due to the tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.
A subsidiary of Paradise Entertainment Limited, LT Game specializes in producing live dealer betting terminals, electronic table games, and slot machines.
Trump has hiked tariffs on select Chinese goods to 145%—the highest trade penalty the US has imposed in nearly 100 years—to which Beijing retaliated with levies of 125% on some US imports.
As such, LT Game plans to shift its focus to Asia and Europe. However, the company’s chairman and Managing Director, Jay Chun, hopes to revisit the North American market in the future.
“We won’t be selling to the US in the short term,” Chun said Tuesday during an inauguration ceremony for LT Game’s new production line. “We’ve held off for the time being because the tariff on a gaming machine is more than 100%, and it’s hard to compete with products made in the US.”
He added: “I believe the trade issue can be resolved definitively, probably within a few months, and then we can consider reselling to the North American market.”
LT Game Sets Sights on Asia, Europe
Chun said US markets account for a “relatively small proportion of sales,” because of heightened tariffs, LT Game can no longer viably compete with domestically produced machines.
LT Game is particularly focused on the Philippines because of a strong demand for production, while Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and Cambodia continue to display growth.
While LT Game is known primarily for its live multi-game systems (LGM) in Macau, it has made a concerted effort to boost its slot offerings. This includes introducing new titles such as “Street Steel” and “Paw Link,” which features a linked jackpot.
The company also formed a partnership with Australia-based iGaming provider Massive Gaming.
“The Asian market for (casino gaming equipment) is very big now,” Chun said. “The Philippines is now the biggest market. They have a total of close to 30,000 slot machines.”
New Production Line Ready
According to Chun, LT Game’s new Macau-based production line can assemble more than 20,000 slot machines annually. The 20,000-foot facility took over two years to complete and allows the company to test and upgrade new hardware as it looks to keep pace in a hyper-competitive industry.
Is Trump’s Trade War Hurting the Gaming Industry?
Although President Trump’s second term promised domestic deregulation, his aggressive international policy could harm several aspects of the US gaming industry.
Last month, Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas reported a 7.5% drop in passenger volume, the most significant monthly decline since the pandemic. Given the tumultuous state of the global economy, the longer-lasting impact of Trump’s policy is yet to be seen.
