“Baffert continues to drag horse racing through the mud in scandal after scandal, and we call on every racing jurisdiction in the nation to hold him accountable.”
—Marty Irby, Animal Wellness Action, calling on all states to ban trainer Bob Baffert. His 2021 Kentucky Derby winner, Medina Spirit, was disqualified due to steroid use
“Thailand has the X Factor. … It may even be the number one market when it finally comes up, because Macau is not going on the right trajectory right now, as we all know. In Japan, God knows when it’s going to start.”
—Daniel Cheng, former Hard Rock International executive, on the potential goldmine that is gaming in Thailand
“Crown has world-class assets with a global reputation for premium service and talented people, and our comprehensive reform program will help build a stronger, more sustainable business.”
—Steve McCann, Crown Resorts CEO, putting a positive spin on the Australian gaming giant’s recent troubles, which jeopardized its gaming licenses in three states and led to a takeover by the Blackstone Group
“As we learn to live with Covid-19 and Omicron, it is essential that we progressively open our air and sea borders. Our ultimate goal is quarantine-free travel for all vaccinated travelers.”
—S Iswaran, Singapore minister for transport, on the phased reopening of international travel lanes. Israel and the Philippines will join the list on March 4
“The esports environment, a proxy for gambling, reveals that Brazil already ranks as the third-largest customer base worldwide, with more than 30 million players.”
— BtoBet Industry Report on the future of gaming in Brazil, which is closer than ever to legalization
“The Chinese nation, bursting with vigor, is moving towards the great rejuvenation and no one can stop it; this is a motive for immense pride.”
—Fu Ziying, Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in Macau, on the SAR’s diversification beyond a gaming-centric economy
“As for VIP lounges and junket operators, I think this is an issue of grave concern for everyone but I can tell you that our group no longer has any junket operations.”
—Francis Lui, vice chairman, Galaxy Entertainment Group, distancing the Macau operator from junket operators
“This law is implemented to curb political activists and to silence the voices of dissenters. Cambodia will comply in furnishing all the necessary details to big brother China.”
—Danny Too, managing director, Cherry Interactive, on Cambodia’s plan to route all internet traffic through a national gateway, which could inhibit iGaming
“The lack of censorship and control over Cambodia’s internet has been exploited by pedophile rings, cyberattacks on the financial sectors, scammers as well as misinformation and organized criminal associations. Whilst there are criticisms over the use of this for political gains, critics haven’t pointed out the benefits this would have in safeguarding online users.”
—Daniel Li, IGamiX, who says Cambodia’s planned internet gateway, while of concern to China-facing iGaming operators, isn’t all bad
“When a gambling company that operates illegally in Norway can earn NOK437 million on its illegal activity within a year, we owe it to the Norwegian people to do what we can to stop the illegal activity.”
—Atle Hamar, director, Norwegian Gambling Authority, on a Kindred subsidiary operating a betting shop in violation of Norwegian regulations
“When five [D.C. Council] members, including myself, voted against this contract, we knew it was bad. But even I didn’t foresee it being this abysmal.”
—Elissa Silverman, D.C. councilwoman, on GambetDC’s Super Bowl glitch, in which Apple users were shut out from betting on the big game
“It really does feel like we’re on the edge of being able to get back into that game 100 percent again, and that’s what fuels me, that’s what fuels the team.”
—Chris Kelley, president, MGM Springfield, looking forward to a post-Covid future
