iGaming News was pleased to report last month's Pacific Congress on Interactive Gaming (PCIG) attracted a record-breaking attendance. Over two-hundred online casino and gaming professionals seeking to tap into the developing gaming market in Asia made the trip to Macau to discuss and learn about the issues specifically involving the Asian online betting sector. Compared to last year's conference, the fifth annual 2007 PCIG saw a 52% rise in attendance.

Attracting several big-name sponsors, speakers and exhibitors, the 2007 PCIG was packed with high level gaming executives working together to pinpoint potential roadblocks and avenues for positive exploitation. For operators who are entirely new to the Asian gaming sector, the conference explained why and how business is done in Asia, as well as cultural influences and gaming specific trends. One keynote speaker - Shailesh Naik of Cryptologic - gave an insightful overview of the Asian market, as well as the aims of the conference itself.

Considering the recent announcement by Macau gambling regulators that the time to license and regulate online casinos and gambling sites is close at hand, there is certainly an optimistic outlook as to what the future holds for the gaming industry in Asia. There is no doubt that with many gaming operators backing out of the U.S. market this last year, the 2007 PCIG was gleaming with newfound opportunity to replace business lost from the U.S. sector.

Feedback from attendees was very positive. Not only was the 2007 PCIG the most attended of all previous conferences, it was probably the most informative and well-organized to date. Leave it to the River City Group (owners of iGaming News) to successfully attract the online gambling industry's top players, united under one joint cause for the betterment and cultivation of the industry itself. In the meantime, River City is now busy organizing the largest online gambling industry conferences held all year - the GIGSE 2007.