The Asian Poker Tour (APT) has signed a new two-year deal with Resorts World Manila that will ensure at least two major APT events are held at the property each year through 2021. This year marks the 10th year of the APT-Resorts World partnership in the Philippines, with 24 international poker series and festivals conducted to date. APT Philippines 2019 at set a new record for its main event with 515 players contributing a PHP 24,977,500 (US$480,000) prize pool. The dates of next year’s two APT events at RWM are 20 April to 10 May and 10 to 21 September. •. Chinese and Cambodian authorities have arrested almost 1,000 people suspected of engaging in online gambling, telecommunications fraud and gang crimes this year, according to information released by China’s Ministry of Public Security. As reported by Chinese media outlet Xinhua, around half of those arrests have come in the five weeks since Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen announced the country would immediately stop issuing new online gaming licenses and would not renew current licenses when they expire at the end of the year. It has previously been reported that around 10,000 Chinese nationals had fled Sihanoukville in the weeks immediately after Cambodia announced its crackdown on online gambling. •. Tan Sri Dr. Chen Lip Keong, owner and CEO of Hong Kong-listed NagaCorp and the top shareholder of Malaysian resort firm Karambunai Corp Bhd is planning to privatize the company in a deal worth an estimated RM184.7 million (US$44.2 million), local media report.
Karambunai is involved in the tourism industry in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo and other parts of Malaysia. • Vietnamese police have busted a gang that was organizing a sports online gambling scheme worth VND3 trillion (US$130 million). The ring operated from October 2018 to May, collecting an average of VND500 billion ($21.6 million) every month. • The New Hampshire Lottery last week reported that 13 companies have submitted proposals to run the Lottery’s new sports betting system after the Lottery put out an RFP. The sports betting was legalized in July by legislation that created a Division of Sports Wagering within the Lottery. Mobile wagers will be authorized in ten host towns and five providers will be licensed to offer mobile wagering. So far ten towns have authorized votes on sports betting in November. Approval of contracts are expected by the end of November, with an early 2020 launch anticipated.
