Altenar, a leading sports betting and iGaming software provider, has expanded its support for operators in Brazil with the opening of a new São Paulo office.
Registering an entity in the country highlights Altenar’s understanding of the importance of Brazil’s regulated market for its clients and reflects the company’s continuous global strategy of wanting to be as close as possible to key markets.
Altenar opened an office in Uruguay last year to provide improved support for clients in LatAm and the Brazil entity will bring numerous benefits, including faster onboarding for new customers and invoicing in the local currency.
Frederico Caputi, Sales Manager at Altenar, said: “Opening the São Paulo office is a strategic step for Altenar as it allows us to better serve our partners and streamline operations within Brazil’s thriving market. This local presence not only enhances our customer support capabilities but also significantly boosts our responsiveness to market needs and regulatory changes.
“It is an exciting development that aligns perfectly with our commitment to growth and excellence in Latin America.”
Play’n GO introduces Invading Vegas: Revenge on Mars, the much-anticipated follow-up to Invading Vegas. This cosmic slot promises adrenaline-pumping entertainment as Earth’s iconic city collides with Martian chaos.
Invading Vegas Revenge on Mars reimagines the chaos of its predecessor, introducing a Martian twist to Sin City’s neon chaos in the form of the alien’s very own version of Vegas on Mars. From Space Cowboys to walking Wilds, the game is packed with out-of-this-world features, making it a must-play for fans of quirky, story-driven slots.
Players can expect a five-reel, 20-payline slot filled with thematic symbols and an immersive soundtrack. And while the stakes are high, the thrills are even higher, with the potential to win up to 2,500x your bet.
Key to the game’s unique appeal is its Walking Wilds, activated when full symbol stacks appear on reels one and two, or four and five, without a winning payline. These wilds traverse the reels, leaving Mystery Symbols in their wake, transforming spins into nail-biting experiences as multipliers of up to x10 stack the rewards.
Twelve Free Spins await players who land three Space Car Scatters, and these can be retriggered for up to 120 spins – a feature perfectly suited for players chasing high volatility and big wins. The interplay between Mystery Symbols and Walking Wilds ensures that every spin builds suspense, with multipliers combining for explosive payouts.
Fans of Invading Vegas will love this intergalactic evolution, which takes the cheeky charm of the original and amplifies it with Martian visuals and dynamic gameplay. With stacked high-paying symbols and colourful animations, Invading Vegas Revenge on Mars is a feast for the senses .
Head of Game Retention at Play’n GO, George Olekszy, said: “Invading Vegas Revenge on Mars is the ultimate mash-up of chaos and charm. Players will love the Walking Wild feature and the adrenaline-fuelled re-spins that bring big-win potential. It’s Play’n GO doing what we do best – innovating to entertain.”
Play’n GO continues to raise the bar in creative slot design, delivering an intergalactic adventure that’s sure to delight fans of the original and newcomers alike. Strap in and join the invasion – Mars has never been this much fun!
In its latest release, Giants and Sheep, Relax Gaming brings together mythical creatures and farmyard favorites in a captivating blend of fear and fluff.
This ginormous 5×4 slot can see players net up to a maximum of 10,000x through three different wild features, giant symbols and a lucrative Free Spins bonus.
At any time during gameplay, one of three wild features can occur. Wild Expand sees a giant hit the reels, forcing the symbols to expand across an entire reel. Wild Spread sees a giant poke the reels, causing adjacent symbols to turn wild. Finally, a Wild Multiplier can randomly appear, multiplying the value of any win that passes through a wild symbol.
Giant symbols in 2×2, 3×3, or 4×4 configurations can appear at any time on the reels, and both Wild Expand and Wild Spread features can appear simultaneously, offering big wins!
Should players land three, four or five bonus symbols, they will trigger six, eight or 10 free spins, respectively. One of three bonus versions is randomly selected: Extra Bonus Free Spins, Extra Wild Free Spins and Extra Giant Free Spins. Every additional bonus symbol that lands during the feature will award an additional spin.
With impressive graphics, a unique theme and gripping features, Giants and Sheep by Relax Gaming is a fantastic addition to any operator’s portfolio, designed to attract new players and drive retention.
Shelley Hannah, CPO at Relax Gaming, said: “We’re delighted to showcase Giants and Sheep! This unique character combo makes for a hugely entertaining match-up and one hell of a great game. With great artwork, strong features, impressive win potential and medium volatility there’s a lot to enjoy here. We hope players enjoy it as much as we do here at Relax.”
Established as one of the industry’s leading B2B suppliers, Relax Gaming was awarded GGA’s Product Launch of the Year in February 2023 for Dream Drop Jackpots. Money Train 3 names the 2023 CasinoBeats Game Developer Awards amongst its 6 Slot of the Year titles, while the brand also won the award for Skill Games Supplier at the 2023 EGR B2B Awards along with the Innovation in Mobile award at the 2023 SBC Awards.
Relax Gaming provides more than 4,000 online casino games, from its high-performing proprietary slots to a significant, varied library of content from hand-picked third-party studios via its partnership programmes.
Visitor arrivals to Macau during the Chinese New Year (CNY) holiday fell short of the Macao Government Tourism Office’s (MGTO) forecast, raising concerns within the industry.
In an interview with Macau Daily, Andy Wu, president of the Macau Tourism Industry Association, noted that the city’s focus on attracting international tourists last year may have inadvertently led to the neglect of traditional markets such as mainland China and Hong Kong. In response, the industry plans to strengthen efforts to retain its core visitor base while expanding into new markets.
According to the MGTO, Macau received 1.31 million visitors during the eight-day CNY holiday (January 28th–February 4th), marking a 3.5 percent year-on-year average daily decline. Mainland Chinese tourists accounted for 1 million of these arrivals, down 3.2 percent from the previous year.
The average daily visitation of approximately 163,700 was below the MGTO’s forecast of 185,000 visitors per day.
Wu pointed out a significant decline in visitation on certain days of the CNY holiday, attributing it to large-scale celebrations in neighboring regions. He suggested that many travelers may have chosen to visit Hong Kong or other cities for New Year festivities before heading to Macau, leading to an initial drop in visitor numbers, followed by a slight rebound as the holiday progressed.
Visitation from Hong Kong also saw an 8.9 percent year-on-year drop. Wu attributed this partly to the “Hong Kong Car Northbound” policy, which encouraged some Hong Kong residents to spend their holiday in mainland China rather than Macau, further impacting arrivals.
Despite the shortfall, Wu expressed confidence that visitor numbers could return to pre-pandemic levels by the end of the year, with continued government support.
Optimism amid fluctuating numbers
Wong Fai, president of the Macau Leisure Tourism Services Innovation Association, offered a more positive outlook, noting that visitor numbers on Day 3 (January 31st) of the holiday reached their highest level since 2019. He emphasized that the strong visitation early in the holiday demonstrated the effectiveness of off-peak travel strategies.
Although visitor numbers declined later in the holiday, Wong pointed out that overall foot traffic remained strong, suggesting the situation was less concerning than initially perceived.
However, the industry expert acknowledged challenges for retailers, as high foot traffic has not necessarily translated into increased sales. Wong advised businesses to adapt to evolving travel patterns and consumer preferences, as visitors are becoming more selective in their spending habits.
Visitor momentum offsets weaker tail
According to UBS analysts Angus Chan, Perry Yeung, Ryan Lau, and Robin M. Farley, visitor growth was strong in the early days of the CNY period but slowed from Day 5 (February 2nd) onward.
Their report suggests that the weaker tail in the latter half of the holiday was influenced by the timing shift in 2025, with the CNY holiday ending one day earlier than in 2024.
During the first four days of the holiday, visitation increased by 6 percent year-on-year, helping to offset the subsequent decline. The visitor mix remained stable, with mainland visitors accounting for approximately 77 percent of the total—consistent with both 2019 and 2024 levels. Mainland visitation held steady at about 135,000 visitors per day, aligning with last year’s figures and pre-pandemic numbers.
UBS projects that gross gaming revenue (GGR) for the nine-day CNY holiday could range between MOP700 million ($87.2 million) and MOP750 million ($93.4 million) per day, with a final assessment expected on February 10th.
Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra in Beijing on February 6th, discussing strengthening cooperation in combating cybercrimes, particularly online gambling and phone scams.
According to a report from Xinhua News Agency, Xi Jinping commended Thailand for its strong measures against online gambling and scams targeting Chinese nationals. He emphasized the importance of continued collaboration between the two countries in law enforcement, security, and judicial matters to protect people’s lives and property while maintaining order in regional exchanges.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn reiterated Thailand’s commitment to ensuring the safety of all tourists, including Chinese visitors. She pledged to take action against platforms spreading false information about Thailand’s tourism industry, especially those related to scam centers. She also highlighted the need for joint efforts in combating phone fraud and other cybercrimes.
The issue of scam centers, particularly along the Thai-Myanmar border, has caused growing concerns. These centers have been reported to operate with trafficked individuals forced into scam operations, mostly targeting Chinese citizens. Recently, several people, including 34 Chinese nationals, were rescued from these centers.
In response, Thai authorities have intensified their efforts, including cutting power to areas in Myanmar where these fraud centers are located. The issue has been labeled a “national security concern” by Thailand, as it affects both the safety of foreign tourists and the integrity of the country’s tourism industry.
Thailand’s close relationship with China is crucial as the country seeks to rebuild its tourism sector post-pandemic. According to projections, Thailand is expected to receive 39 to 40 million visitors in 2025, with about 8.8 million to 9 million Chinese tourists.
The relationship between the two nations is significant not only because China has always been the largest source of tourists to Thailand but also because Thailand is now aiming to legalize casinos, which could pose a future challenge to Macau’s gaming industry.
Two travel agency employees have been arrested for posing as Philippine Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) agents and soliciting money from families of former Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) employees.
The two arrested individuals were employees of JRB Travel and Consultancy Services.
According to authorities, one victim allegedly paid PHP900,000 ($15,500) for the removal of one detainee from the deportation list of arrested POGO workers. Another allegedly paid PHP1.1 million ($18,900) to free his spouse who was arrested during a POGO hub raid in Parañaque.
Aside from the solicited bribes, the suspects provided fake documents, including tax identification number cards, driver’s licenses, Philippine passports, immigration documents, National Bureau of Investigation clearances and more.
The two are facing charges of robber-extortion, usurpation of authority, grave coercion and estafa.
The PAOCC, and other government bodies, has been actively trying to clean up the aftermath of the POGO ban, which came into effect on January 1st. A series of raids has led to the capture of hundreds of individuals which the country is now aiming to deport to their countries of origin.
In a Thursday update, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) indicated that a further 57 individuals have been deported in the last five days. These include 46 Chinese, seven Myanmar nationals, three Vietnamese and one Malaysian. They are part of the 450 foreigners arrested in January for law violations – including involvement in illegal POGO activities.
Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado noted that “We will not allow foreign nationals to abuse our immigration system. Those who break our laws and insist on continuing illegal POGO activities in the Philippines will be arrested and swiftly deported”.
The Macau Judiciary Police recently uncovered an illegal gambling operation involving mobile phones used to secretly live-stream VIP room gambling sessions.
The operation is believed to be linked to a mainland criminal syndicate, with group members recruiting mainland participants for “under-the-table gambling” activities through WeChat groups.
Investigations revealed that since August of last year, the syndicate had carried out at least 11 operations, with table bets totaling approximately HK$790,000 ($101,472). However, under-the-table bets were significantly higher, reaching around HK$5.36 million ($688,500), indicating the large scale and organization of the operation.
On February 5th, authorities raided a VIP room in Cotai and arrested three mainland men aged between 29 and 35. One of the men was identified as a key member of the group. Police believe more than 10 individuals are still at large.
During the operation, authorities seized several mobile phones and miniature earpieces used for live-streaming the gambling sessions, along with HK$344,000 ($44,185) in chips and HK$600,000 ($77,067) in cash. The arrested men refused to cooperate with the investigation, which has further complicated the case.
The Judiciary Police explained that the syndicate used advanced technology to live-stream the gambling activities, allowing mainland gamblers to participate in real time. This not only enabled the group to evade regulatory oversight but also facilitated substantial profits.
The security authorities noted that these illegal activities represent a serious threat to the integrity of Macau’s gaming industry and could be linked to money laundering and other criminal activities.
Currently, the case has been forwarded to the Public Prosecutions Office for further action. The Judiciary Police will continue to investigate other individuals involved and trace the flow of illicit funds in an effort to dismantle the entire criminal network.
Kangwon Land, the operator of South Korea’s only casino open to local patrons, has announced that it will commence a pilot operation of a ‘Foreigner Exclusive Game Zone’.
According to Maeil Business Newspaper, Kangwon Land’s interim CEO Choi Chul-kyu says that the zone is to allow foreign tourists more convenient access to the casino.
Courtesy of MBN
“We will continue to expand the number of foreign visitors this year to enhance our status as a global complex resort and contribute to revitalizing the national tourism industry,” stated the executive.
The new pilot operation comes after permission to change casino business restrictions in September of 2024.
This includes a $128 million investment to construct a ‘second casino business site’, expanding its casino size to 20,260 square meters and increasing table numbers to 250, with machine units rising to 1,610.
In the pilot foreigner-only segment the betting limit will rise from KRW100,000 ($70) to KRW20 million ($13,800), eventually increasing to KRW300 million ($207,000) when fully operational.
The company says that it welcomed nearly 24,300 foreign casino visitors last year, up by 5.8 percent yearly.
Entain Australia is reportedly disbanding its Ladbrokes Racing Club (LRC) program, citing rising operational costs.
The LRC was launched by Entain in 2023, offering members an ownership-like experience.
Entain Australia CEO Dean Shannon was quoted by media as saying that “The increasing product fees and taxes in Australia, along with the rising cost of racing, has forced tough decisions to be made regarding these extra initiatives”.
Dean Shannon, Entain Australia and New Zealand CEO
LRC was responsible for racing thoroughbreds, standardbreds and greyhounds.
Despite the announced program closure, Shannon reiterated that Entain would continue with new racing initiatives in 2025.
However, LRC representatives will be conducting a transition their racing stock, with some horses to be transferred to New Zealand, while others will be sold via Inglis Digital.
Shannon indicated that, despite the LRC winding down in Australia, its New Zealand operations would not be affected.
“The TAB Racing Club in New Zealand will remain unaffected and continue to be active on the track,” stated the executive.
The closure of the LRC program comes during a difficult time for gaming operators in Australia. Entain Australia itself faces an investigation by the country’s financial watchdog AUSTRAC into possible violations of anti-money laundering laws.
The investigation, announced in AUSTRAC in December of last year, alleges “that Entain did not develop and maintain a compliant anti-money laundering program and failed to identify and assess the risks it faced. We are alleging this left the company at serious risk of criminal exploitation,” stated AUSTRAC’s CEO Brendan Thomas at the time.
The Philippine gaming regulator (PAGCOR) has officially broken ground on its new PHP2.45 billion ($41.74 million) corporate office building in Pasay City.
As previously indicated by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), the financing and construction of the center will be done by the San Miguel Corporation. (SMC).
In December, PAGCOR indicated that it had signed a 25-year lease with SMC for the 15-hectare Bagong Nayong Pilipino property in Pasay City.
PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro H. Tengco (left) and SMC Chairman Ramon S. Ang present the artist’s perspective of the new PAGCOR corporate office that will be constructed on a two-hectare area at the Nayong Pilipino Complex in Pasay City.
As part of the deal, SMC allocated two hectares for PAGCOR’s new corporate office building.
In a Thursday press release detailing the groundbreaking, PAGCOR’s Chairman and CEO Alejandro H. Tengco noted that the watchdog has been renting spaces for over four decades, spreading its workforce across multiple locations.
“The Nayong Pilipino complex, once known for its rich attractions, culture and history, had long lain dormant. Today, it is set to be transformed into a vibrant symbol of progress and opportunity for PAGCOR,” stated Tengco.
Upon completion, the center will have a floor area of 40,000 square meters, with an additional 15,000 square meters for ‘comprehensive fit-out’.
“Since PAGCOR will not occupy all 40,000 square meters, we plan to lease some of the commercial spaces to generate rental income,” indicated Tengco, reiterating a previous pledge to gain rental income from the new space. “These rental earnings should be enough to cover the building’s maintenance costs”.
Also present at the ground breaking ceremony was SMC Chairman Ramon Ang, who assured that the project cements its partnership with the gaming regulator.
“While SMC will construct the Corporate Center, we will also use PAGCOR’s Nayong Pilipino property to build infrastructure that will complement airport requirements,” stated Ang.
SMC is set to pay monthly rental fees for the remaining 13 hectares it occupies on the Nayong Pilipino property – for aviation-related projects.
SMC and the Incheon International Airport Corporation are part of consortium that officially took over management and operation of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) last year, committing to spending PHP170 billion ($2.9 billion) to improve the facility and increase passenger traffic to 62 million annually from the current 43 million.
