Big Trouble in Little China

A crackdown on money laundering by Chinese President Xi Jinping (l.) has some analysts predicting that Macau’s multibillion-dollar gaming industry may have peaked. The overall market shed $58 billion...

Published January 5, 2015

Japan Could OK Casinos in 2015-16

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (l.), who just won his second term in office, has pledged to stoke the nation’s economy with a plan that may include casino gaming....

Published January 5, 2015

City of Dreams Opens in Manila

Solaire in the capital of the Philippines finally has some competition: City of Dreams opened its doors in December. The soft opening included the debut of the resort’s main...

Published January 5, 2015

LVS Gets OK to Finish Parisian Macao

The Las Vegas Sands Corp. says the Macau government has given it the go-ahead to complete its $2.7 billion Parisian resort. The property is expected to open in stages...

Published January 5, 2015

Delay for Galaxy Macau?

The president and COO of Galaxy Entertainment Group denies reports that Phase II of the company’s Galaxy Macau property will not open until May. The target opening was originally...

Published January 5, 2015

AAEC Drops Sands Lawsuit

The head of the Asian American Entertainment Corp. has withdrawn a lawsuit seeking US$5 billion from the Las Vegas Sands Corp. Marshall Hao Shi-sheng said he was instrumental in...

Published January 5, 2015

Okada Cleared of Bribery Charges in Philippines

Universal Entertainment Corp says Philippine law enforcement has dismissed allegations of bribery against the company and its owner, Japanese billionaire Kazuo Okada. Okada was accused of trying to pay...

Published January 5, 2015

New Smoking Restrictions for Macau?

The government of Macau is expected to announce new restrictions on smoking in casinos, says Alexis Tam Chon Weng, the new secretary for Social Affairs and Culture. An announcement...

Published January 5, 2015

Vietnam’s Grand Ho Tram Launches Phone Bets

Last month the Grand Ho Tram resort in Vietnam launched live telephone betting on some table games. The perk for high rollers could attract gamblers steering clear of Macau....

Published January 5, 2015

Macau Sees Beijing’s Watchdogs Closing In

Chinese President Xi Jinping (l.) visited Macau last week, but he was expected to offer little relief to the city’s battered casino industry, which now finds itself the target...

Published December 22, 2014

Is Japan Back?

An unexpectedly large victory for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (l.) in snap elections last week have revived the possibility that the country could approve casinos. The bill was...

Published December 22, 2014

Landing Expands Investment in S. Korea

Chinese property developer Landing International plans to buy a small casino, the Alpensia Casino (l.), near the site of the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. The company likes...

Published December 22, 2014

In Manila, the Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of

The Philippines’ new $1.3 billion City of Dreams Manila held a soft opening over the weekend, treating the region to its first look at the second of four destination...

Published December 15, 2014

Blue Christmas for Macau

Analysts expect another month of double-digit revenue declines as 2014 winds to a close, the seventh in a row of lower results compared with last year. The new year...

Published December 15, 2014

Harsh Words from China Spook Korean Investors

Officials in Beijing have sharply criticized Korea’s casinos, claiming they exploit vulnerable Chinese, and the news sent gaming stocks in the tiny country tumbling. The Korean industry is banking...

Published December 15, 2014

Japan? Maybe Never

A lack of broad support combined with Shinzo Abe’s (l.) political woes has spelled doom for casinos in Japan. Legalization has been shelved, and isn’t expected to be revived...

Published December 15, 2014

City of Dreams Manila Opens This Week

The second of Manila’s four new megaresorts is staging a soft opening for December 14. The $1.3 billion City of Dreams Manila, developed by Macau casino giant Melco Crown...

Published December 8, 2014

Ho Tram Launching VIP Phone Betting

The Grand – Ho Tram, Vietnam’s only full-scale resort casino, has struggled since opening on the South China Sea coast last July, but plans to raise its high-roller profile...

Published December 8, 2014

China Probes Sports Lottery Spending

China’s popular Sport Lottery is being swept up in the central government’s wide-ranging anti-corruption campaign. Government auditors are fanning out into 18 provinces to track billions in lottery proceeds...

Published December 8, 2014

Silver Heritage Tapped for Nepal Casino

Hong Kong’s Silver Heritage has received government approval to run the Shangri-La (l.) casino in Kathmandu, Nepal, as part of a planned $100 million in phased investments in five-star...

Published December 8, 2014