Macau-based electronic gaming equipment supplier Asia Pioneer Entertainment (APE) is planning to expand into at least two new Southeast Asian markets, Cambodia and the Philippines, in 2019, according to the company’s Chairman Allen Huie.

Speaking from the exhibition floor at MGS Entertainment Show this week, Huie said that APE has high hopes for the year ahead after a slow start to 2018.

“The second half of the year has been doing very well and in 2019, aside from maintain our market share in Macau, we are expanding into Southeast Asia,” he said.

“Strategically we are expanding further into the region. We are in the process of doing a deal in Cambodia and also the Philippines so we are on the radar for 2019. We should be doing our first transactions next month.” Huie is also excited by new opportunities in Vietnam, specifically the impending 2019 launch of an IR in Hoi An of which Suncity Group holds a 34% stake.

“The properties in Cambodia are smaller but Vietnam is a big IR and that presents an opportunity for us,” he said.