I was recently in the Clark Freeport Zone north of Manila, Philippines, where I spent the best part of a week checking out the progress of its many new casino developments.

While I was there I also took the time to visit a few of the older PAGCOR casinos – and rest assured the difference between the ageing PAGCOR properties and their shiny new cousins was stark.

But what struck me most was the contrast in slot machines: one evening I was wandering through a bank of decade-old machines with faded screens and small, blocky cabinets, the next I was awash with the bursts of color, cutting edge animations and attention-grabbing big screens that typify today’s market-leading games.

While you wander the MGS exhibition floor today, take a few minutes to stop by the booths of Aristocrat, Scientific Games, IGT and LT Game, check out their latest slot machine technology and take a moment to ponder just how far this ever-changing segment of the industry has come.