Former judge Sam Hou Fai has been elected as the Chief Executive of Macau, securing an overwhelming 394 out of 398 votes cast in the election held on Sunday.

The development of the gaming sector in Macau has made the city's economy "unbalanced", with the diversification away from the industry being an imperative from Chinese central authorities and a directive "backed by most of the population", says Sam Hou Fai, the sole official candidate for the next Chief Executive of Macau.

The recent bankruptcy declaration of BC.GAME, a Curacao-based gambling operator and Leicester City FC sponsor, has brought renewed scrutiny to Curacao’s controversial gaming licensing regime.

Australia’s beleaguered gaming operator The Star has already been facing hardships but is likely to be facing more ahead, as the New South Wales Independent Casino Commission (NICC) will announce to address the findings of the Bell Two inquiry ‘and any subsequent disciplinary outcomes’ sometime this month.

The embattled suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo has submitted a letter to Malacañang, the Office of the Philippine President, appealing for a fair investigation into the allegations against her, including her supposed involvement in illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) activities.

Philippine Congressman Gus Tambunting says the House is equally divided in regards to gaming support, in particular of online. Meanwhile, the sale of Casino Filipino venues is proof of how seriously the nation is taking its gaming, with current laws unlikely to change under future administrations. The official also says that the gaming regulator, PAGCOR, “needs more teeth” in order to properly enforce regulations.

The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) has issued three new charges against Rumotel Pty Ltd, the operator of the Tower Hotel in Hawthorn East for allegedly breaching their Responsible Gambling Code of Conduct.

With the majority of the rooms in the Macau SAR already in operation, incremental growth in operating expenses for gaming operators should be lower in the second half of this year, brokerage Morgan Stanley estimated

Deputy Speaker Rufus Rodriguez strongly opposes the sale of the “goose that lays the golden eggs,” suggesting that PAGCOR create a Casino Gaming Regulatory Authority so that the agency may continue with its remittances.

Imperial Pacific International (IPI) says it’s on track to reopen its casino on Saipan in November, though there remains significant doubt over its future and over the feasibility of its business model.