NEWS & NOTES

In the post-pandemic race to win back Chinese tourists, Singapore is beating its neighbors in Southeast Asia, Thailand and Vietnam. According to MSN, its success can be attributed to a visa-free policy and “an excellent tourism reputation” due to strict gun control and low crime rates. The republic is home to two lavish integrated resorts (IRs), Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa. More than 327,000 Chinese tourists visited Singapore in February—96 percent of pre-pandemic levels in 2019, as reported by the Singapore Tourism Board. Thailand, meanwhile, welcomed about 600,000 Chinese tourists, or 60 percent of the same month in 2019, while 295,000 Chinese tourists traveled to Vietnam, less than half of pre-pandemic levels.  •  The Indiana Gaming Commission recently approved the Local Development Agreement between the city of Terre Haute and Churchill Downs, the final step for the opening of the Terre Haute Casino Resort on April 5. The casino and three restaurants will open on that date, followed by the adjacent hotel and other amenities on May 15. Mike Rich, Terre Haute Casino Resort vice president and general manager, said, “There is palpable excitement here, between those who work here and those who are excited about visiting.” Rich said the grand opening ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10:30 a.m., Friday, April 5 will be attended by Churchill Downs officials, local political leaders and construction workers. Restaurants opening that day will include the Four Cornered Steakhouse, Rockwood Bar and Grill and the Soda Shoppe.  •  A consultant will study New Hampshire’s rapidly growing charitable gaming business model and analyze the state’s gaming laws and policies compared to other states. With a budget of $175,000 allocated for this purpose, a committee overseeing the state’s gambling industry selected Spectrum Gaming Group, based in Pennsylvania, out of three competing bids. Spectrum will primarily concentrate on two areas—the revenue split between the state, casinos and charitable organizations and the oversight regulation, including aspects such as rent.  •   The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has reportedly been applying increased pressure on authorities in Curaçao to step in and prevent iGaming sites in the country from targeting Australian bettors. According to the Guardian, the ACMA has met with regulators from the Caribbean nation at least six times since first making contact in June. The ACMA has blacklisted more than 20 such sites from the island, all of which were marketing lucrative bonuses for Australian players specifically.  Curaçao is in the process of reforming its iGaming regulatory framework, having recently established the Curaçao Gaming Authority, which is expected to overhaul the licensing process in the near future.