S. Korea Casinos Saw 5.4 Percent Slide in ’17

South Korea’s foreigner-only casinos saw turnover tumble 5.4 percent to KRW1.2 trillion (US$1.1 billion) in 2017. Casino visitation for the year was also down to 2.2 million at the...

Published July 2, 2018

ID Checks of Casino Workers Not Failsafe

Electronic ID checks promoted as a way to keep Macau casino staff from gambling in their off hours may not be an easy fix. Legislation was recently proposed to...

Published July 2, 2018

Macau Back Up in June?

Gross gaming revenue in Macau could bounce back in June after a blip in May, say brokerages like Sanford Bernstein and JPMorgan Asia Securities. Some are looking for year-on-year...

Published July 2, 2018

Bad Luck for 13 Holdings?

The promoter of the 13 Hotel on the Cotai-Coloane border in Macau has distanced itself from the property’s troubled history with a name change. The erstwhile 13 has become...

Published July 2, 2018

GEG Slammed for Muzzling Workers Online

Macau casino operator Galaxy Entertainment Group has found itself on the defensive after reports that the company covertly deleted online complaints by employees, some posted after Typhoon Hato last...

Published July 2, 2018

Macau Halts Emergency Drills

Macau’s gaming regulator says it will not continue simulated emergency drills at the city’s casinos, at least for the time being. The drills were put in place last year...

Published July 2, 2018

China Opens ‘Great Firewall’ to Boost Hainan Tourism

The Chinese island province of Hainan will give foreigners unfettered access to social media including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube as part of a new campaign to grow tourism to...

Published July 2, 2018

Vinpearl Vietnam’s First Locals Casino

The Vietnam Ministry of Planning and Investment has announced that Vinpearl Phu Quoc Casino Resort (l.) on Phu Quoc Island will be the first casino in the Southeast Asian...

Published July 2, 2018

Hard Landing in Manila

Landing International Development Corp.’s land lease agreement with a Philippine tourism arm has been put on the back burner pending the issuance of a gaming license from the country’s...

Published July 2, 2018

Analyst: Mega-IRs May Shortchange Japan

If Japan ends up licensing three massive integrated resorts, like MGM’s proposed Osaka development (l.), at an investment of about $10 billion each, some gaming analysts say the new...

Published July 2, 2018

Ex-Philippine Officials Charged in Shakedown Scheme

Prosecutors say a former immigration commissioner and his deputy pocketed a massive bribe from Macao casino and junket operator Jack Lam in a scandal involving more than 1,000 illegal...

Published June 25, 2018

Thailand Fights Football Bets

Law enforcers in Thailand continue to fight illegal sports betting, online and offline. But Deputy Commissioner Phanurat Lakboon of the Metropolitan Police Bureau says it may be a losing...

Published June 25, 2018

Marquee Nightclub Makes Asian Debut

The first Marquee brand nightclub in Asia will open at Marina Bay Sands with a full-sized, 8-armed Ferris wheel and soaring 70-foot ceilings. Owners hope the club will establish...

Published June 25, 2018

13 Hotel Must Be Reinspected

The Macau government has informed the developer of the long-stalled 13 Hotel project (l.) that it must apply for reinspection in order to qualify for a hotel license. The...

Published June 25, 2018

Dragon Corp. Floating Casino a No-Go

Brova Idea AS, a Norwegian company that planned with Dragon Corp. to develop a floating casino in Macau, reports that it exited the project last November. The Dragon Pearl...

Published June 25, 2018

U.S. Wary of CNMI Casinos

In a new report, the U.S. military expressed concerns that Chinese-backed casinos in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands could undermine its operations in the region.

Published June 25, 2018

So: Grand Lisboa on Cotai to Buoy SJM

The opening next year of SJM Holding’s Grand Lisboa Palace in Macau’s Cotai district will help restore the casino operator to market dominance, says CEO Ambrose So (l.). SJM...

Published June 25, 2018

Resorts World Manila Putting on the Ritz

Resorts World Manila (l.) will rebrand its Maxims hotel as the Philippines’ first Ritz-Carlton. The move is being done in part to draw more international tourists arriving at nearby...

Published June 25, 2018

Suncity in Spending Spree

Hong Kong-listed Suncity Group Holdings Ltd. wants to buy casinos in “South Korea, the Philippines, Russia and Myanmar,” says Executive Director Andrew Lo (l.). It may also make a...

Published June 25, 2018

Hainan a Hotbed of Speculation

Will the Chinese island of Hainan have gaming or not? It depends on who you ask. But speculation that the Chinese province will soon offer cashless bets is making...

Published June 25, 2018