“In South Korea in 2000, the Kangwon Land casino that was previously only open to foreign visitors was also opened to locals. In the area adjacent to the resort, now pawnshops can be seen all over the place, and several hundred people who had lost everything they had to gambling are said to be living on the streets.”
—Anonymous source, telling the Japan Times that legal gaming in the country will have negative repercussions
“We thus deem the issuance of an immigration look-out bulletin order prudent in order to at least monitor the itineraries of their flight, travel and/or whereabouts, or if warranted, effectuate his immediate arrest pursuant to the directives of the president should the subject return to the country.”
—Arrest order for Chinese gaming operator Jack Lam, who fled the Philippines after 1,316 people were arrested at an alleged illegal online casino in Pampanga
“I just stood up and walked away. I know myself I could not be bribed.”
—Vitaliano Aguirre II, Philippines justice secretary, who says Chinese gaming lord Jack Lam tried to bribe him to protect an illegal casino
“All of them also denied allegations that they bribed their guards or gave money to anyone to help them escape.”
—Ma. Antonette Mangrobang, spokeswoman, Philippines Bureau of Immigration, on 57 Chinese nationals who escaped after being arrested for operating Jack Lam’s purported illegal online gaming business
“A clear attitude will help. Crown needs to admit clearly to the Chinese authorities what it has done and promise that it will not in the future cross the line in the grey zone between what is permitted in China and what is not. It also needs to hire good lawyers to defend its employees.
—Chen Youxi, Capital Equity Legal Group, who says Crown Resorts should also apologize for marketing to Chinese VIPs on the mainland, an illegal practice that resulted in the arrest of 18 Crown employees
“There needs to be a broader debate on why gaming was made illegal in the first place, what kinds of social impact it may have and how the people will react to it. The amount of time allocated in the Diet to discuss these issues is a bit short. I think there are many who feel this way.”
—Natsuo Yamaguchi, Japan’s Komeito Party, on the passage of a bill that opens the door for legal casinos in the country
“It’s like a televised sporting event. More people are betting on politics these days. Obviously, it’s not as big as sports. But people like Betfair are looking for opportunities to develop it. For instance, people are also already betting on the French Presidential election next May. That’s extraordinary.”
—Mike Smithson from PoliticalBetting.com to SBC News on betting in the UK on Britain’s Supreme Court decision on Brexit
“We know why they wanted it to be a secret. They’re an out-of-town group trying to kill the project. … They’re trying to kill this to protect a different gambling interest.”
—Josh Wood, of Region Business, a building contractor’s alliance that supports an Indian casino in Elk Grove, California, commenting on formerly anonymous group that bankrolled petitions to block the project
“It’s moving very, very quickly. We’ve been looking at artist renderings for, I would say, three, maybe four years. And to see this actually take shape in real bricks, real cement, real steel and to be able to get physically a flavor of what this will be like, is extraordinary.”
—Stephen Crosby, chairman of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, taking a walking tour of the MGM Springfield Construction site
“Our platform allows Pala to integrate the social game experience into its land-based loyalty system thereby extending its brand beyond the physical casino and providing guests the opportunity to earn rewards towards their next visit.”
—Jim Ryan, chief executive officer of Pala Interactive, on the advantages of Pala Casino Spa and Resort offering its MyPalaCasino social site
“Gov. Doug Ducey’s deal to resolve the dispute over the Tohono O’odham casino near Glendale looks like a smart proposal. One that could bring healing to the state’s tribes and restore public confidence that tribal gaming will not turn Arizona into a mini-Las Vegas.”
—Editorial, Arizona Republic, urging acceptance by the Tohono O’odham Nation of Arizona Doug Ducey’s offer to settle the lawsuit between the tribe and the state
