Explore the cutting-edge innovations, technological solutions, regulatory updates and exclusive networking opportunities required to gain the connections and insights you need to succeed on a global scale.
Every operator can launch, but few can lead. In Asia, leadership is won in the 90 days after go-live, when payments feel effortless, content resonates locally, and every touchpoint builds trust.
Winning Trust, Stopping Fraud. Asia Pacific’s iGaming market is expanding extremely fast, and a new wave of digital-savvy players is pushing demand through the roof. But the rise in adoption has outpaced regulation in many markets, and fraudsters have taken notice.
INTELLIGENCE | ASEAN | CAREERS
Anchored on this year’s theme, “Reimagining Governance in the Age of AI,” the online session underscored the need to embrace artificial intelligence responsibly to ensure that innovation is balanced with accountability and transparency in the workplace.
The Microsoft Copilot Chat Masterclass was facilitated via Microsoft Teams by AI Workforce Specialist Christeen Padilla, with 98 employees from PAGCOR’s corporate offices and branches in attendance.
Padilla introduced Microsoft Copilot Chat, a secure AI-powered assistant designed to boost productivity through features such as drafting correspondence, summarizing reports, generating ideas, and answering work-related queries.
She also distinguished between the free Copilot Chat, which provides web-sourced responses, and the M365 Chat version, which delivers organization-specific replies.
Employees with an M365 Chat license can also access specialized tools such as Researcher, Analyst, Prompt Coach, Writing Coach, Idea Coach, Career Coach, Learning Coach, Surveys, and Microsoft 365 Admin.
Citing industry data, Padilla noted that 86 percent of AI-assisted chat application users in the Philippines had adopted Copilot in 2024, reflecting the country’s rapid shift toward AI-powered workplace solutions.
While highlighting Copilot’s potential to streamline tasks and improve efficiency, the orientation also placed strong emphasis on governance safeguards to ensure its responsible use. These include compliance with enterprise data protection standards, observance of organizational policies, and vigilance in distinguishing between web-based and internal data to protect sensitive information
BMM’s digital business performed exceptionally in the first half of 2025, growing at nearly triple the pace of the broader iGaming and sports betting market, building on seven years of consecutive record growth. The Company has become the preferred lab for medium and large suppliers across Europe, Asia, and Latin America.
This year, BMM secured new licenses in Brazil covering iGaming, sports betting, and VLTs, as well as the United Arab Emirates, two of the world’s newest and most exciting regulated markets.
BMM’s new São Paulo, Brazil lab is now fully operational, reinforcing BMM’s commitment to serving customers locally while supporting their global growth. With these new licenses, BMM reinforces its promise to be a strong partner in every gaming market globally.
To meet growing demand, BMM has invested heavily in its people and infrastructure, ensuring faster and more efficient service delivery for digital suppliers worldwide. The Company has bolstered its global math team and continues to add experienced testers and security professionals in its Barcelona, Spain Center of iGaming Excellence.
BMM Testlabs President, iGaming & Cybersecurity, Marzia Turrini said: “With licenses in Brazil and the UAE and strong demand from suppliers and game developers worldwide, BMM is uniquely positioned to help our customers win in regulated digital markets. As G2E launches our World Tour, we will showcase why BMM is the partner of choice for iGaming, iLottery, and sports betting product compliance testing and certification. Our digital growth story is just beginning.”
BMM invites G2E Las Vegas 2025 attendees to connect with its digital gaming leaders and schedule meetings by visiting worldtour.bmm.com.
Recently shortlisted for Product Innovation of the Year at the Global Gaming Awards Americas 2025, MEGA has redefined gamification in iGaming by delivering tailored player experiences that boost engagement, retention, and sustainable play.
Soft2Bet will be exhibiting in G2E 2025 at Booth #3630, where it will host a series of interactive MEGA workshops, giving attendees a firsthand look at how its gamification technology empowers operators to differentiate and drive engagement in competitive markets like North America.
A highlight of the schedule is an open MEGA workshop taking place on Wednesday, October 8 at 2:30 pm at booth #3630, featuring an in-depth demonstration of MEGA’s capabilities and its impact on player retention and operator performance.
“We’re thrilled to return to G2E during such a landmark year for the industry — the conference’s 25th anniversary,” said Alex Gitsik, CMO at Soft2Bet. “The MEGA platform represents the future of player engagement, combining innovation with proven results to help operators not only compete but lead in today’s fast-evolving markets. Our interactive workshops at the expo will give attendees unique insights into how MEGA drives sustainable growth.”
G2E is a pivotal opportunity for Soft2Bet to expand its footprint, building on recent momentum with brands like ToonieBet in Ontario, where MEGA has delivered measurable performance gains.
Celebrating its 25th anniversary, G2E has grown into one of the most prestigious events in the global gaming industry, serving as a key platform for innovation, networking and market expansion.
Landing clusters of 5-15+ matching symbols pays out up to 150x in the base game, where winning combinations leave behind wild multipliers for the following tumble.
Each subsequent tumble win featuring the wild multiplier increases its value by +1x and moves it to an adjacent position on the grid. When two or more multiplier wilds contribute to the same win, their values are combined, boosting payouts.
Symbols can also carry multipliers up to 100x, adding to the value of the multiplier wild if they make up the same winning combination.
Landing 3-7 scatters triggers the bonus game with 10-18 free spins, with each additional scatter that hits during the feature awarding one extra spin. During the feature, all multiplier wilds remain present on the grid throughout.
Mermaid’s Treasure Trove is the latest addition to Pragmatic Play’s award-winning slots portfolio, following the release of Jackpot Blaze and Sweet Rush Bonanza.
Irina Cornides, Chief Operating Officer at Pragmatic Play, said: “Mermaid’s Treasure Trove is another action-packed oceanic expedition, where merging multiplier wilds and tumbling reels combine to award wins of up to 10,000x.”
Jeju Dream Tower, an integrated resort and the tallest landmark on Jeju Island, opened in 2020 and is promoted by Lotte Tour Development.
Dream Tower Casino generated KRW51.11 billion ($37.3 million) from table games, an 88.2 percent rise year-on-year, while machine revenue rose 44.7 percent to KRW1.83 billion ($1.3 million). Overall casino revenue was also 23.2 percent higher than in August, when the company posted KRW42.99 billion ($31.4 million).
Hotel operations, however, recorded a decline. Revenue stood at KRW6.93 billion ($5.1 million), down 17.1 percent from August, but still 1.7 percent above September 2024.
For the first nine months of 2025 the total amount bet at table games, KRW1.78 trillion ($1.3 billion), was a 59.7 percent increase from the KRW1.11 trillion ($813 million) recorded in the same period last year.
In 2024, casino operations represented 62.5 percent of the company’s total revenue, while hotel operations accounted for 18.2 percent.
It is also worth noting that in late August, the Jeju Dream Tower Casino overtook Paradise City to become South Korea’s highest-earning casino exclusively for foreign players.
South Korea’s new visa-free policy for Chinese tour groups began on September 29th, with the government expecting 1 million extra visitors by June 2026. The scheme allows groups of three or more, organized by approved agencies, to stay up to 15 days without a visa. Jeju Island continues its separate policy permitting individual and group travelers to visit for up to 30 days visa-free.
DSEC data show that 991,000 hotel guests came from the mainland in August, a 2.4 percent increase compared to the same period last year. International hotel guests also grew significantly, climbing 20.3 percent year-on-year to 87,000, with notable gains from Thailand, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Malaysia.
In total, hotels across Macau hosted 1,303,000 guests in August, marking a 3 percent annual rise. The surge in hotel occupancy came as Macau welcomed over 4.2 million visitor arrivals during the month, setting a new monthly record for inbound tourism during the summer holiday period.
Hotel occupancy rates remained strong. The average occupancy rate for guest rooms reached 92.9 percent in August, up 1.5 percentage points year-on-year. Occupancy at five-star hotels stood at 95.7 percent, while four-star hotels recorded 88.2 percent. Three-star hotels saw a slight decline, with occupancy dropping 0.9 percentage points to 89.9 percent. The average length of stay was unchanged at 1.6 nights.
As of the end of August, Macau had 147 hotel establishments providing accommodation, three more than the previous year, with available guest rooms rising 1.3 percent to 45,000.
For the first eight months of 2025, Macau’s hotels recorded an average occupancy rate of 89.8 percent, an increase of 4.3 percentage points compared to the same period in 2024. Total hotel guest numbers edged up 0.1 percent to 9.79 million, while the average length of stay stood at 1.7 nights.
Meanwhile, the number of inbound package tour visitors declined. August recorded 162,000 package tour visitors, down 18.8 percent from a year earlier, though the figure was 7.4 percent higher than July. Mainland China package visitors fell 24 percent year-on-year to 142,000, while international package tour arrivals rose 30.2 percent to 14,000. For the January to August period, Macau received 1.28 million package tour visitors, 6.1 percent lower than a year ago.
The research firm forecasts Macau GGR will grow 8.7 percent in US dollar terms (8.4 percent in MOP) for 2025, with particularly strong performance expected in the fourth quarter at 12.4 percent growth compared to 8.3 percent in the first half.
For October specifically, Seaport estimates GGR will increase 13 percent year-over-year and 28 percent month-over-month, following September’s typhoon-impacted results.
‘The strong growth seen during the summer has been driven largely by the higher-end (both VIP and premium mass) as high-end players face easier visa protocols and less constraints on moving money into Macau (the strongest factor)’, the report states.
September’s GGR grew just 6 percent year-over-year to MOP18.3 billion ($2.28 billion), significantly below the forecasted low double-digit growth, after a major typhoon disrupted visitation and spending. Seaport Research estimates the typhoon likely impacted growth by approximately 6-7 percentage points, with growth of 12-13 percent expected under normal conditions.
Year-to-date through September, Macau’s GGR stands at 82 percent of 2019 levels and up 7.1 percent year-over-year. Mass gaming revenue has recovered to approximately 118 percent of 2019 levels, while VIP gaming remains at roughly 28 percent. Within the mass segment, premium play has surged over 40 percent above 2019 levels, though base mass—particularly overnight base mass customers—continues to lag, approximately 5 percent below pre-pandemic figures.
The research highlights that liquidity channels remaining open represents the critical growth driver. ‘As long as the liquidity channels remain open, Macau will continue to meet gaming demand (high-end demand in particular),’ Seaport Senior Analyst Vitaly Umansky wrote.
Beyond 2025, Seaport forecasts 7 percent annual growth for 2026-2027, supported by improving hotel occupancy, stronger base mass recovery, continued easing of money flows, and growing consumer confidence. Additional catalysts include robust visa issuance, ongoing entertainment events, and potential benefits from any US-China trade agreement that could further boost consumer confidence and travel to Macau.
The firm notes that while Macau stocks have rebounded significantly from early April lows, valuations remain attractive.
Despite the positive outlook, risks remain, including potential constraints on money movement, weakening of the Chinese economy, and any large-scale liquidity restrictions that could hamper high-end gaming spend.
The all-suite hotel, replacing the former Hard Rock Hotel, features 183 suites with deluxe and premier accommodations starting at 72 square meters.
“The Laurus, a Luxury Collection Resort, marks a defining chapter in our brand’s journey, introducing an extraordinary new destination where heritage, nature, and luxury converge,” said Bruce Rohr, Vice President and Global Brand Leader, The Luxury Collection. The property represents part of Marriott International’s portfolio expansion in Southeast Asia.
Lee Shi Ruh, Chief Executive Officer of RWS, described the launch as reflecting “RWS’s ambition to set new benchmarks in luxury hospitality while offering travelers a sanctuary that feels like home.” She emphasized that the property embodies the belief that “true luxury must also be responsible – thoughtfully designed to delight discerning travelers while honoring our community, culture, and environment.”
The hotel opening forms part of Genting Singapore’s SG$6.8 billion ($5 billion) “RWS 2.0” expansion project launched in November 2024. The initiative has already introduced several attractions, including the Harry Potter: Visions of Magic experience in November 2024 and Minion Land at Universal Studios Singapore in February 2025. The Singapore Oceanarium, replacing the S.E.A. Aquarium (with triple the space), has also opened.
Designed by award-winning firm P49 Deesign, The Laurus spans over 7,650 square meters and draws from colonial and tropical influences.
The expansion comes as Resorts World Sentosa faces competitive pressures. According to JP Morgan analysis released in August 2025, RWS’s market share in terms of EBITDA fell to a record-low 28 percent in the second quarter, down from 33 percent in the first quarter and pre-COVID levels of approximately 40 percent.
Asia Gaming Brief (AGB) is a news, market intelligence, events, and networking company focused on Asia Pacific’s rapidly expanding gaming industry.
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