Tag: Asia & Oceania
Nagaland issues first Indian online gaming licences
In India, the small northeastern state of Nagaland has begun licensing online poker operators with the first license going to K365 Web Assets and its domain at Khelo365.com, while operator Club Empire Tech Private Limited has also been issued with poker-only authorisation.
The fourth smallest state in India, Nagaland explained that the licences allow operators to offer their services to...
Slotegrator confirms deal with Habanero Systems
Slotegrator signs new parternship deal with Habanero Systems to expand the company’s brand across the iGaming industry.
Slotegrator has announced a new partnership agreement with gambling software developer Habanero Systems (Asia).
Explaining the significance of the deal, Slotegrator’s brand manager, Denis Dzyubenko, said: “The contract with Habanero Systems will help not only to expand its horizons, but also to bring joy to...
Macau draws full house in third quarter of 2016
Mass market gamblers helped Macau achieve 8.8 percent gaming growth in October, smashing expectations and pushing some to predict double figure gains in November.
An influx of holidaymakers drove gaming revenue growth beyond expectations for the third consecutive month in Macau - the most compelling endorsement to date of the city’s transition to a mass market destination.
Figures released by Macau’s...
Macau SAR Government out in force to open 2016 MGS Entertainment Show
MGS Entertainment Show 2016 opens its largest show yet with strong showing of support from both the Governments of the Central People’s Republic and Macau SAR.
There was a show of strength from the Governments of the Central People’s Republic and Macau SAR at the opening day of the MGS Entertainment Show. Officials from both governments were out in force...
Ganapati PLC CEO to demystify Japanese gaming market at iGaming Education Forum
The CEO of Japanese gaming and entertainment company Ganapati PLC has been confirmed as a speaker on Japan’s gaming market at next week’s iGaming Education Forum.
Mr Mitsuya Fujimoto, CEO of Ganapati PLC - a group of international game studios, media platforms and production companies - will be bringing his expertise and passion for the Japanese gaming market to the...
Taiwan casino bill rejected by residents
Residents of Taiwan’s outlying Penghu archipelago have voted overwhelmingly against legislation that would have paved the way for a new wave of casino resorts near China’s south-eastern seaboard.
The Penghu government said in October that voters had rejected the idea of authorising casinos as a means of driving tourism to the island chain. The referendum results showed 26,598 votes against...
MGS offers unique insight into future of Japanese gaming legislation
The temperature surrounding the long-running debate on legalising casinos in Japan seems to be rising, as high ranking politicians, analysts and leading corporations place their bets on the chances of a major shift towards new legislation. And with the latest indicators pointing to a more favourable outcome, November’s MGS Summit finds itself perfectly positioned as the prime place for...
Parisian Macao: fifth Sands Corp Macau casino open for business
The fifth Macau casino from Sands Corp is now welcoming customers – with casino mogul Sheldon Adelson hinting that more themed resorts may well be on the horizon.
Yesterday marked the official opening of the Parisian Macao – the new $2.7bn (E2.4bn) integrated resort from the Las Vegas Sands Corporation.
The property boasts a half-size replica of the Eiffel Tower, a...
One more time, for luck: Abe tries (again) for casinos in Japan
Ahead of the next Olympic Games, the next few months will seemingly prove decisive for the fate of the LDP party’s integrated resort bill.
According to a report by the Financial Times, Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic party (LDP) is to try and legalise casinos once again – as a parliamentary committee prepares to meet in Tokyo to finalise the agenda...
Vietnam to continue banning locals from casino floors
Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party has decided against lifting its long-standing ban on locals visiting the country’s 30 casinos, potentially snuffing out hopes for the region as the next casino hub.
In its latest draft decree, Vietnam’s Ministry of Finance confirmed this week that casinos will still not be permitted to take wagers from anyone without a foreign passport.
The announcement not...
Tak Chun opts for Parisian over MGM Macau
One of the big-three junkets in Macau intends to relocate some its VIP interests away from the MGM Macau – and into the Sands Corporation’s latest Asian venture.
The Tak Chun Group, one of Macau’s most powerful junket operators, has announced that it is to suspend operation at the MGM Macau in favour of the Sand Corporation’s soon-to-be-opened Parisian Macao resort....
Macau shows signs of upsurge as recreational gamblers return
Macau has broken a 26-month period of decline with a 1.1 percent upswing in revenues, driven in part by a spate of new resort developments.
Casino shares rallied on Thursday after Macau revealed a 1.1 percent rise in gross gambling yield for the month of August – the first signs of an upswing after a 26-month dip.
According to data from...
Packer cedes control of Crown with A$448m share sale
Commentators have suggested that sale of the majority sake could be to pay down debt following the settlement of the Packer family empire with sister Gretel.
James Packer has sold A$448m ($337m) worth of shares in Crown Resorts, relinquishing his majority stake in the casino operator.
In a statement to the ASX, Consolidated Press Holdings (CPH), the Australian billionaire’s private company,...
Taiwan puts casino legalisation to a referendum
Residents of Penghu, one of the country’s outlying islands, will be given a choice on whether to permit new casino developments in the area in an attempt to boost tourism.
A referendum on whether to allow casino gaming in the Taiwanese island of Penghu is being held on the 15 October as the government hopes to boost the country’s vital...
“Gamble until you die” – Duterte U-turn on online gambling crackdown
The Philippine’s president has announced that he is willing to allow a resumption of online gambling within certain conditions.
Philippines president, Rodrigo Duterte, appears to have softened his stance against the gambling industry and has stated that he is prepared to allow online gambling after all.
Immediately after taking office Duterte added online gambling to his hit list of vices and...
Macau rebound underway, says Galaxy owner
Macau has weathered the worst of its economic woes and is now on the bounce-back – according to one of the city’s most prominent gaming stakeholders.
Galaxy Entertainment owner Lui Chee-Woo made the remarks to assembled press following the release of encouraging interim financial results for the company.
“Macau’s gaming sector has hit rock bottom and a rebound is already on the horizon,”...
Mohegan Sun completes development deal for South Korean casino
A consortium led by US casino operator Mohegan Sun has signed a land lease agreement with Incheon International Airport Corporation to build an integrated resort on Yeongjong Island in South Korea by 2020.
As previously reported in International Casino Review, Inspire Integrated Resort, a consortium by Mohegan Sun and South Korean chemical maker KCC Corporation, won a bid to build...
Revenue and profits surge at Grand Korea
A filing to the South Korean stock exchange from casino operator Grand Korea Leisure (GKL) saw the company report a 38 per cent like-for-like increase in net income to KRW25.6bn (E20.7m).
The company’s gain in operating income for the quarter was even more impressive – jumping 44.8 per cent to KRW31.4bn (E25.5m).
The result was largely the result of an unusually...
XIN Gaming unveils new Olympics inspired slot
Asia-facing games and systems developer XIN Gaming has just released its latest Olympics themed slot, Rio Fever.
The five-reel, four-row, 50-line game, challenges player to match symbols relating to the sports that will be on show in Rio de Janeiro this August.
Rio Fever is XIN Gaming’s second recent sports themed game, two months ago, the firm released Euro Football Champ,...
Media Watch: Japanese casinos on the cards
Media Watch
Industry commentators suggest that Japan’s casino industry could finally get the go ahead after the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) gained a majority in this July’s upper house election.
This will allow the LDP to push through legislation and could set the stage for an integrated resorts (IR) bill to receive a green light following years of close calls.
“With...
Asia News: Legislation, Transparency, Grand Prix and Michelin Stars
Asia News round-up
Macau and Mainland China revise tax contracts to increase transparency
Specific areas of tax legislation were revised in a recent meeting between Mainland China and the Macau Special Administrative Region to push for fairer and more transparent taxation in the region.
The meeting in Beijing between Secretary for Economy and Finance, Lionel Leong Vai Tac, and the Deputy Administrator...
Malaysian operator claims big things in store for Sihanoukville
According to an article in The Cambodia Daily, newly-established Malaysian operator SV International has claimed that it aims to turn the coastal town of Sihanoukville in a “casino city”, after Cambodian ministers gave the go-ahead for its development plans.
A promotional video posted online by the company said that it would aim to offer “24-hour borderless online betting games,” alongside...
IAGR teams up with IMGL for Sydney Conference
The International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR) has announced that its 2016 Annual Conference will take place in Sydney, Australia between October 31 and November 3, 2016. The event will explore issues affecting gaming regulators, policymakers and industry executives in gambling markets around the world.
The conference will focus on challenges faced by regulators as they seek to improve the...
Grand Mariana: Chinese VIPs on US soil
Mark Brown discusses the Grand Mariana’s plans to roll-out the first junket-style operation within US jurisdiction. “At present, in Saipain we’re dealing with our VIPs on an individual basis.
We’re averaging 100 high-rollers a month - and I have a list of 400 “cream of the cream” players which we’ll be running with going forward. We do plan to introduce...
Taiwan: Penghu casino referendum likely by the end of the year
Penghu Island, the previously favoured site for casinos in Taiwan, is once again preparing to hold a referendum to determine whether gaming will be permitted in the county. The question is - will this be a repeat of 2009, or will it herald an era of casino development in Taiwan? James Walker reports.
Over recent years, Taiwan - one of...
Iao Kun marks foray into brick-and-mortar casino operations
After losing out on the bid to take control of the Savan casino in Laos earlier this year, VIP gaming room promoter Iao Kun Holding Company has signed a deal to purchase its first brick-and-mortar property. James Walker reports.
Macau junket operator Iao Kun Group Holding Company (IKGH) has announced that its whollyowned subsidiary, Iao Kun Jeju Hotel Company, has...
Imperial Pacific: Forging the world’s newest gaming economy
The US-administered Pacific island of Saipan is fast becoming Asia’s hottest new destination for VIP casino players, thanks to its proximity to China and the high-life offered by Imperial Pacific Holdings’ Grand Mariana development. One of the gaming industry’s leading lights, Mark Brown, talks to Casino Review about the prospects ahead. Chris Webster reports.
Little more than two years ago,...
Genting Malaysia: Earnings down on forex losses
Casino operator Genting Malaysia recorded a year-on- year earnings decline of 60 per cent in the first quarter of 2016.
Leisure and hospitality giant Genting Malaysia saw earnings in the first quarter of 2016 drop by 60 per cent, as foreign exchange losses cut into the group’s bottom line.
In the three months ended March 31, revenues for Genting Malaysia, which...
Macau: What’s behind the casino crime figures?
Samuel Lung, director of fraud investigation and dispute services for Ernst & Young and a member of the Asia-Pacific Advisory Committee for the International Association of Gaming Advisors (IAGA), provides a guided tour to Macau’s junket operations and how these crime figures can connect with the territories ‘dark side’.
“In my last column published in the March 2016 issue of...
No deal: Laos suspends Savan Vegas casino sale
The bidding process on the Savan Vegas casino in Laos has been suspended by government authorities, according to one of the operators which had been shortlisted for its tender.
In a filing to Bursa Malaysia - the Kuala Lumpur stock exchange - electronic gaming machine manufacturer RGB International claimed “the tender for sales process for sales process for the Savan...
