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Macau arrests two more mainland men over proxy betting

Viviana Chan
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Macau arrests two more mainland men over proxy betting

Macau police arrested two mainland Chinese men in separate cases over two days for allegedly livestreaming baccarat and placing bets for remote gamblers, extending a recent series of proxy-betting cases detected as police and casino security teams step up scrutiny of the practice.

The Judiciary Police seized HK$10,000 ($1,280) in cash and three casino cash vouchers worth a combined HK$114,000 ($14,540), together with modified clothing, mobile phones and Bluetooth equipment, according to the reports. The two suspects were transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office on suspicion of illegally operating online games of chance or online mutual betting.

Both men were intercepted by security staff at an unnamed casino in Macau’s NAPE district after their behavior drew attention. Proxy betting involves livestreaming a casino game and placing wagers according to instructions from gamblers located elsewhere.

In the first case, reported at about 6:30 p.m. on July 9th, investigators found that the suspect had hidden a phone inside a chest pocket fitted with transparent mesh, allowing him to film a baccarat gaming machine. He allegedly received betting instructions through Bluetooth audio equipment.

The man told police he had been paid HK$300 ($38) for each successful trip and had carried more than HKD10,000 in betting funds into Macau. He had allegedly conducted the activity at least twice since June, earning no less than HK$600 ($77).

A second suspect was intercepted at about 4 a.m. on July 10th using the same method. He allegedly admitted conducting two livestreaming sessions on July 8th and July 10th and about five sessions since June for three remote gamblers.

Police said the second suspect was paid HK$500 ($64) per hour. His proxy bets totaled HK$150,000 ($19,130), while his earnings were at least HK$5,000 ($638).

The arrests follow several recent cases involving concealed phones and modified clothing used to broadcast casino games. Police have increased monitoring, while casino security teams have also been identifying suspicious behavior and referring suspected proxy-betting activity for investigation.

Macau gaming taxes rise 13% YoY to $6.3B in 1H26

Viviana Chan
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Macau gaming taxes rise 13% YoY to $6.3B in 1H26

Macau’s government collected MOP51.19 billion ($6.3 billion) in taxes from gaming revenue in the first six months of 2026, up 13.1 percent from a year earlier, lifting the SAR’s fiscal surplus to MOP13.28 billion ($1.6 billion), according to central account budget execution data.

The surplus through June 30th was 14.7 percent higher than the MOP11.58 billion ($1.4 billion) recorded in the same period of 2025, and more than two and a half times the MOP5.22 billion ($646 million) surplus budgeted for the full year.

In June alone, gaming tax receipts amounted to MOP8.67 billion ($1.07 billion), up 6.3 percent from the same month last year, based on a comparison with the cumulative figures to May.

Gaming taxes accounted for roughly 86 percent of total public revenue, which rose 12.5 percent year-on-year to MOP59.54 billion ($7.4 billion) in the period.

Meanwhile, total public expenditure climbed 11.9 percent to MOP46.26 billion ($5.7 billion), led by a sharp increase in transfers, subsidies and grants, which rose to MOP27.27 billion ($3.4 billion) from MOP20.68 billion ($2.6 billion) a year earlier.

The government’s 2026 budget assumes MOP92.53 billion ($11.5 billion) in revenue from games of fortune for the full year, a target that stood 55.3 percent fulfilled at the halfway mark, keeping collections slightly ahead of the budgeted pace.

PhilWeb elects Gokongwei as director following confirmed $33M personal investment

Viviana Chan
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PhilWeb elects Gokongwei as director following confirmed $33M personal investment

Philippine businessman Lance Gokongwei has joined the board of PhilWeb Corporation, formalizing his role at the gaming technology firm weeks after it confirmed his PHP2.03 billion ($33 million) personal investment.

The board elected Gokongwei as director at its July 9th meeting, according to a filing with the Philippine Stock Exchange, filling one of two vacancies created by the immediate resignations of Susana C. Fong and Ismael Augusto S. Gozon. Aldous Brigino was elected as independent director to fill the other seat.

Following Gozon’s departure, the board also reconstituted PhilWeb’s audit committee, now chaired by Brigino alongside independent directors Daniel Tirona Francisco and Anthony Ferdinand C. Yu.

Gokongwei, president and CEO of conglomerate JG Summit Holdings, disclosed last month a subscription for just over 159.5 million common shares and 93.8 million redeemable preferred shares at PHP8.00 apiece, giving him an initial 10 percent stake in PhilWeb’s common stock, rising to approximately 15 percent if the preferred shares are fully exercised. The investment is being made in a personal capacity rather than through any listed Gokongwei group company.

The board changes come as PhilWeb deepens its push into online gaming technology, having struck partnerships this year with Hann Casino Resort, NUSTAR Online, Newport World Resorts operator Travellers International, and Okada Manila’s Okada Play platform.

PAGCOR remits $92.1M dividend to Philippine government in 2025

AGBrief Editorial
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PAGCOR remits $92.1M dividend to Philippine government in 2025

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) remitted PHP5.67 billion ($92.1 million) in dividends to the Philippine government for fiscal year 2025, ranking as the fifth-largest contributor among 50 government-owned and controlled corporations.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. recognized PAGCOR’s contribution during the 2026 GOCC Day celebration at Malacañang Palace on July 8th, presenting a certificate to PAGCOR Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Alejandro H. Tengco. Government-owned and controlled corporations, or GOCCs, are state-owned entities that remit part of their earnings to the national government.

The PHP5.67 billion payment represented 50 percent of PAGCOR’s income in 2025, according to the agency’s July 10th press release. The remittance complied with Republic Act No. 7656, known as the Dividends Law, which requires GOCCs to transfer at least half of their annual net earnings to the government.

Department of Finance data cited by PAGCOR showed that dividends due in 2026 from the 50 GOCCs totaled PHP147.15 billion ($2.39 billion). Actual collections had reached PHP140 billion ($2.27 billion) as of July 8th, with the remaining amount scheduled to be remitted before the end of the year.

Marcos said the payments strengthen the government’s capacity to provide essential public services, describing them as evidence that ‘sound governance and fiscal responsibility can create opportunities’ without requiring greater financial sacrifices from the public.

Meanwhile, Tengco said the recognition highlighted PAGCOR’s continued focus on fiscal responsibility and national development, despite challenges arising from global uncertainties.

“PAGCOR remains resolute in its commitment to support nation-building initiatives that help uplift the lives of Filipinos,” Tengco said.

He added that the agency would continue exercising fiscal discipline and seek to generate higher revenues for the benefit of the country.

Macau 2Q26 EBITDA to fall 7% to $1.92B in ‘toughest’ quarter since reopening: Citigroup

Viviana Chan
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Macau 2Q26 EBITDA to fall 7% to $1.92B in ‘toughest’ quarter since reopening: Citigroup

Macau’s gaming industry has just endured its ‘toughest’ quarter since the border reopening, with industry EBITDA forecast to fall 7 percent year-on-year to $1.92 billion in 2Q26, the lowest level since 3Q24, as the FIFA World Cup and ‘extremely unfavorable’ hold rates weighed on earnings, according to Citigroup.

The investment bank estimates Macau generated gross gaming revenue of MOP61.03 billion ($7.6 billion) in the quarter, flat year-on-year but down 7 percent sequentially, the lowest quarterly total since 1Q25. Industry EBITDA is expected to drop 12 percent quarter-on-quarter, with margins narrowing by around 1.5 percentage points to roughly 25.8 percent.

In a note published on Friday, analysts George Choi and Timothy Chau attributed the weak numbers largely to the tournament, which began in mid-June, alongside ‘some significantly unfavorable VIP hold, particularly in April’. The resulting operating deleverage from the ‘lower-than-theoretical VIP hold’ is the main driver of the margin squeeze, the report said.

Despite this, the analysts believe the negatives ‘have been largely priced in’, noting the sector is trading at 7.1 times one-year forward EBITDA, almost two standard deviations below its historical mean. With a ‘star-studded concert and event calendar’ in the second half of 2026, Macau GGR ‘should swiftly return to normal soon after the tournament ends’, per the report.

MGM China,Macau

MGM China, SJM expected to gain market share

MGM China and SJM are likely to record the largest quarter-on-quarter market share improvements, according to Citigroup. MGM China benefited from the recently opened hotel suites and Masters Club VIP gaming area at MGM Cotai, lifting its share by 0.8 percentage points to 16.2 percent, while SJM’s share is seen recovering from 9.6 percent to 10.2 percent as its Peninsula casinos proved much less ‘unlucky’ than peers.

Conversely, Sands China appears to have lost the most ground during the quarter, slipping from 26.1 percent to 24.2 percent, a decline the analysts mostly attribute to the extremely unfavorable VIP hold.

Galaxy Entertainment Group, Macau

Catalyst watches and lower targets

Citigroup opened a 30-day upside catalyst watch on Galaxy Entertainment, which it expects to be the largest EBITDA market share gainer of the quarter, and downside catalyst watches on Sands China and its parent company Las Vegas Sands.

The brokerage also cut target prices across the sector by 7 percent to 22 percent, raising its market risk premium by 2 percentage points. It suggests ‘building positions’ in its top picks: Galaxy, which offers the longest investment tail with Galaxy Macau Phase 4, and Wynn Macau, with a sector-high 8 percent dividend yield.

Asia Gaming eBrief: DigiPlus revives $87M buyback after investor pressure

AGBrief Editorial
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Asia Gaming eBrief: DigiPlus revives $87M buyback after investor pressure
Good morning. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. DigiPlus revived its $87 million share buyback just three days after Juroszek-linked foundations — holding a mere 1.4 percent — publicly pressed the board to favor repurchases over fresh land-based investment. The activists argue the stock trades at a fraction of peer valuations, with $325 million in cash and virtually no debt behind it. Meanwhile, in the US, Genting Americas’ new $2 billion facility has lifted refinancing risk off Empire Resorts and earned a brief S&P upgrade, though the agency cautions that heavy construction risks still loom over the downstate New York casino.

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AGB Intelligence

PHILIPPINES

Digiplus

DigiPlus answers shareholder call with $87 million buyback

DigiPlus Interactive has revived its share buyback program with a budget of PHP5.36 billion ($87 million), three days after foundations tied to Poland’s Juroszek family urged the board to prioritize repurchases over new land-based investments. The 12-month authorization takes effect July 9th, following the expiry of the previous program on July 4th. The foundations, holding about 1.4 percent of the company, argued DigiPlus trades at roughly one-third of the peer median valuation despite strong cash flow.

Industry Updates

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How Crypto Adoption in Asia is Changing iGaming Payments

Yevhen Krazhan, CSO for GR8 Tech

Yevhen Krazhan, CSO at GR8 Tech, explores how surging crypto adoption across Asia is revolutionizing iGaming payments, stating: “When I look at what’s changing fastest in Asia, it’s payment behavior,” as wallets, stablecoins, and seamless cross-border transfers become deeply ingrained in player habits. The winning operators will be those that offer fast, reliable, and local deposits and withdrawals. To make sense of it, Yevhen breaks Asia into two crypto realities.

INTELLIGENCE | ASEAN | AWARDS | CAREERS | EVENTS

Malaysian police seize $323,000 in crypto in World Cup betting crackdown

Frank Schuengel
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Malaysian police seize $323,000 in crypto in World Cup betting crackdown

Malaysian police have dismantled an alleged online betting syndicate linked to the 2026 FIFA World Cup after raiding an office in Kuala Lumpur, arresting 11 suspects and seizing cryptocurrency and cash believed to be connected to the operation.

The raid was carried out at around 11:30 am on July 9th by officers from the D7 anti-vice division of the Kuala Lumpur police contingent headquarters at an office on the eighth floor of a commercial building in Taman Desa.

According to Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Fadil Marsus, the syndicate is believed to have been masterminded by a Canadian national and was using the premises as a hub to promote and facilitate online betting on World Cup matches.

Police said the operation targeted bettors in South Korea, Japan and Hong Kong. During the raid, officers seized cryptocurrency credits valued at approximately $323,380, which investigators believe represented wagers placed on four FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final matches. Police also confiscated MYR18,817 ($4,400) in cash.

Initial investigations found that the syndicate had rented the office for around six months but only began actively promoting and operating its betting business three months ago, allegedly in an effort to avoid detection. Authorities arrested 11 individuals, comprising six South Korean men, three Malaysian men and two Malaysian women.

One of the Malaysian women is believed to have managed the premises and assisted in promoting the World Cup betting operation. All suspects have been taken to Kuala Lumpur police headquarters for further investigation under Section 4(1)(e) of Malaysia’s Common Gaming Houses Act 1953.

Police said they remain committed to disrupting illegal betting operations, particularly during major sporting events such as the FIFA World Cup, when demand for sports wagering typically increases.

Melco SME Academy delivers training programs to strengthen local business capabilities

AGBrief Editorial
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Melco SME Academy delivers training programs to strengthen local business capabilities

On July 6, Melco hosted a training program at Studio City in partnership with anti-modern slavery non-profit The Mekong Club, as part of its ongoing SME Academy initiative to promote lifelong learning and support the capacity-building needs of local businesses and SMEs.

The session featured presentations on human rights, modern slavery, and sustainable products by The Mekong Club’s Senior Programme Manager, Catherine Cheung, and Melco Senior Manager for Sustainability, Hannah Chung, drawing more than 60 participants from 44 local SME businesses.

Melco SME Academy delivers training programs to strengthen local business capabilities
Melco SME Academy delivers training programs to strengthen local business capabilities

To support development and growth, the event also offered a business networking session for representatives from local SMEs and Melco to meet with one another to better understand mutual business requirements and offerings, as well as identify opportunities for collaboration.

Melco SME Academy delivers training programs to strengthen local business capabilities

One of the SME participants, Ms. Caryi Cheung, Quality Assurance Officer of City Gourmet Company Limited, commented on the initiative: “Thanks to this training program offered by Melco, I now have a deeper understanding of ‘modern slavery,’ ‘forced labor,’ and the concept of ‘sustainability’. I used to think such issues only existed in history books or distant regions, but the guest speaker made me realize that modern slavery has infiltrated global supply chains in subtle ways, such as debt bondage, confiscation of documents, and restriction of personal freedom.”

“This training highlighted that, beyond price and quality, compliance and social responsibility are essential factors in supplier evaluation and selection. It also deepened my understanding of sustainable development and the importance of corporate responsibility in driving positive social and environmental impact. These considerations must be incorporated into everyday business operations and decision-making,” Ms. Caryi Cheung said.

Since its launch in 2017, Melco SME Academy has supported local suppliers and SMEs by providing training, technical expertise and insights into emerging industry trends, helping them navigate evolving business challenges. In 2025 alone, the program delivered 13 workshops attended by 646 participants from 319 SMEs.

Wynn Macau & Wynn Palace recognized for sustainability excellence at the 2025 Macao Green Hotel Awards

AGBrief Editorial
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Wynn Macau & Wynn Palace recognized for sustainability excellence at the 2025 Macao Green Hotel Awards

Wynn Macau and Wynn Palace earned top honors at the 2025 Macao Green Hotel Awards, receiving the Gold and Silver Awards, respectively, at a ceremony organized by the Macao SAR Government’s Environmental Protection Bureau and co-organized by the Macao Government Tourism Office.

The awards underscore Wynn’s leadership in sustainable hospitality, recognizing the company’s progress in environmental management, carbon reduction, and responsible operations.

In 2025, Wynn further strengthened its sustainability goals, focusing on enhancing operational efficiency, governance capabilities, and climate response resilience. This includes actively supporting the Macao SAR Government’s long-term decarbonization strategy to achieve a Carbon Peak by 2030 and Near-Zero Emissions by 2050.

Wynn properties recognized for sustainability excellence at the 2025 Macao Green Hotel Awards
Wynn Palace received the Silver Award at the 2025 Macao Green Hotel Awards

In line with this, Wynn continues to implement innovative initiatives with a focus on energy conservation and emissions reduction, and has achieved substantial progress. Compared with the 2019 baseline year, energy intensity decreased by 10.6%, while Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emission intensity recorded a remarkable reduction of 35.6%.

Wynn has also advanced responsible sourcing by updating its Sustainability Policy, Supplier Environmental Standards, Sustainable Procurement Policy, and Supplier Code of Conduct, while strengthening supplier review processes and environmental data collection.

The company has introduced innovative technologies to improve resource efficiency, such as the Nordaq 2000 automated water refilling system, which helps reduce single‑use plastics and related carbon footprint, and the Winnow Vision AI food waste management system, which provides data analysis to help culinary teams adjust purchasing and menu planning while reducing food waste without compromising quality. 

The company will continue prioritizing sustainability, community investment, and stakeholder collaboration as it seeks to balance business growth with environmental stewardship and social responsibility.

Zitro Digital enters new growth phase in Bulgaria via Efbet.com partnership

AGBrief Editorial
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Zitro Digital enters new growth phase in Bulgaria via Efbet.com partnership

Zitro‘s online division, Zitro Digital, has announced a strategic agreement with efbet.com, one of the most established online gaming operators in Bulgaria.

The collaboration will see Zitro Digital’s acclaimed portfolio of slot titles go live across the efbet.com platform, giving players access to some of the industry’s most engaging and proven-performance content.

This deal marks a significant milestone for both companies, combining Zitro Digital’s proven track record in delivering high-quality gaming experiences with efbet.com’s expansive and loyal player base across regulated markets.

King Fu Frog by Zitro
ZITRO,Legendary Sword
Link King by Zitro

Players on efbet.com will now have access to a curated selection of Zitro Digital’s top-performing titles — including ‘King Fu Frog’, ‘Legendary Sword’, and ‘Link King’ — built on the same player-focused engagement mechanics that have made Zitro a leading name in land-based gaming worldwide.

Commenting on the landmark partnership, Lidiya Krasteva, Casino Manager at efbet.com said: “We are pleased to welcome Zitro Digital to our platform. Their titles are a good fit for our players in Bulgaria, and this collaboration reflects our ongoing commitment to offering the best content available in the market. We look forward to building on this partnership.”

“This partnership with efbet.com represents exactly the kind of strategic move that reinforces our growing digital footprint in Europe,” added José Javier Martí, CCO at Zitro Digital. efbet.com has built an outstanding reputation for quality and player trust, and we are confident that our content will resonate with their audience. We look forward to a long and successful collaboration.”

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