In its first official update since July, The UAE’s gaming regulator, the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) has warned UAE residents of ‘the dangers’ of unlicensed lottery and commercial gaming operators.
In a press release dated December 9th, the authority affirms that ‘only lottery and commercial gaming operators approved by the GCGRA are permitted to operate’.
The authority furthers that consumers using unlicensed operators ‘face significant risks’ including fraud and ‘being implicated in a regulatory or criminal investigation and the subsequent reputational damage’.
The GCGRA furthers that the sole lottery licensed in the region was granted to The Game, LLC, which operates as The UAE Lottery.
Two airport lotteries – Big Ticket and Dubai Duty Free – are also allowed to operated under the GCGRA’s supervision.
‘All other preexisting lotteries will not be considered for continued operations, and the GCGRA has ordered them to shut down’.
Speaking of the regulator’s vigilance on the issue, the CEO of the GCGRA, Kevin Mullally, noted “Consumers are strongly advised to avoid unlicensed operators to protect themselves from adverse consequences. Similarly, advertisers, payment processors, and other service providers that support these businesses risk sanctions and potential consequences affecting their ability to operate in the UAE”.
Cryptocurrency iGaming brand BC.GAME is undergoing significant changes as it refines its global compliance strategy. Its legal counsel told AGB its new strategy amongst mounting difficulties.
In an exclusive interview with Asia Gaming Brief, Jefferson Ha, Senior Legal Counsel at BC.GAME, shared insights on recent challenges the company faced, including its departure from Curacao, and its ambitious plans for future expansion.
Once considered a haven for gaming operators, Curacao has faced numerous challenges and growing criticism in recent times. BC.GAME, which obtained a sub-license under Curacao’s master licensing system in 2022, recently decided to withdraw from the jurisdiction. Ha described the environment as increasingly “operator-unfriendly,” citing regulatory uncertainty, procedural flaws, and the antiquated 1931 Bankruptcy Decree as key obstacles.
“Our experience in Curacao highlighted significant inconsistencies in the regulatory and legal process,” he explained. Despite winning an initial court case primarily related to a number of widely reported player disputes, BC.GAME faced bankruptcy following it, and before it could appeal the decision. The court ruled against the company, based on claims that Ha deems frivolous, including one involving an unverified fine from Spanish authorities.
“The regulatory system doesn’t reflect modern industry standards, making it difficult for operators to thrive,” indicated the legal expert.
BC.GAME’s decision to leave Curacao aligns with its broader strategy to focus on jurisdictions with robust compliance frameworks. “We’ve decided to move forward with jurisdictions that prioritize transparency and operational stability,” he added.
While most people will see BC.GAME as one of the new breed of pre-regulated market operators that have come to significant prominence in recent times, the company’s future plans are better described as aligning with the “Entain Model”, where the long term view focuses on regulated markets. Aside from having licenses in Mexico and Anjouan, the company is in the final stages of obtaining further licenses in other jurisdictions, such as Vanuatu, Tobique and Brazil, with plans to expand further into emerging markets such as Peru.
“We’re aligning our strategy with jurisdictions that offer modern compliance mechanisms,” Ha stated. “This ensures the safety and reliability of our platform while maintaining our commitment to user satisfaction.”
The company’s plans include launching innovative solutions, enhancing its presence in regulated markets, and pursuing local licenses in key regions. BC.GAME aims to transition from being a pre-regulated market operator – a status that has seen it become the target of public criticism and media investigations – to becoming a leader in the regulated gaming space.
Compliance remains at the core of BC.GAME’s strategy, indicates the legal counsel. The company continues to grow its compliance department and has implemented systems to monitor player behavior, aiming to identify and mitigate problem gambling. However, Ha acknowledged the challenges of responsible gaming in an online environment.
“Unlike land-based casinos, online platforms have unique challenges in monitoring player behavior,” he noted. “We’re constantly looking for ways to improve and align with best practices in player protection.”
This approach is part of BC.GAME’s effort to build a sustainable gaming ecosystem. “We are aware of our responsibilities towards players,” Ha emphasized. “Responsible gaming is about making the industry sustainable for everyone involved.”
Amid media speculation about its financial stability and operational integrity, BC.GAME is taking steps to set the record straight. Ha confirmed that the company’s financial position is secure, and its global operations remain unaffected by the Curacao exit. “There’s a lot of misinformation out there,” he said. “We are financially healthy and committed to fulfilling all obligations.”
BC.GAME is also working closely with its various partners to manage its public image. “Our sponsorship partners have been incredibly supportive,” Ha shared. “We’re focused on maintaining transparency and addressing any concerns.”
“Our goal is to provide a secure and enjoyable gaming experience for our users,” he concluded. “We’re embracing change and aligning with the evolving expectations of the gaming industry.”
BC.GAME appears to be a prime example of the current trend of “Portfolio Operators”, where gaming companies move away from holding just one license to cover all operations, and instead obtain a number of pre-regulated market and local licenses to cater for their various target markets, regulatory requirements, and corporate risk appetite. This operating model is becoming increasingly common as pre-regulated markets disappear and countries introduce their own frameworks in pursuit of increased tax earnings.
Having the flexibility of using pre-regulated market licenses, while also obtaining local licenses where required, should align the operator well in a landscape that is inevitably moving towards more regulation.
Macau casino operator Wynn Macau and its gaming license-holding entity Wynn Resorts (Macau) SA will pay a maximum of HK$1.17 billion ($150 million) in 2025 for the right to use “Wynn”-related trademarks, copyrights, and service marks controlled by a subsidiary of its parent company, US-based Wynn Resorts Ltd.
According to intellectual property (IP) license agreements established in 2009, the fee that the Macau operation must pay to Wynn Resorts Holdings LLC will be either the greater of 3 percent of the Macau business’s gross monthly intellectual property revenues or US$1.5 million per month.
The annual fee cap for 2025 was disclosed in a recent filing with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
For 2024, IP payments are capped at HK$1.09 billion ($140 million). In 2021 and 2022, the actual amounts paid by Wynn Macau and its units under the intellectual property arrangements were $49.6 million and $25.2 million, respectively.
Macau has seen a robust recovery in tourism this year, welcoming more than 32.5 million visitors by Saturday, December 7th.
The figure represents a 25.7 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023, but still approximately 88 percent of the 2019 figure.
Macau authorities have set a target to receive 34 million visitor arrivals this year, including nearly 2 million international visitors.
Macau Visitor Arrivals 2024 YoY
The latest update from the Public Security Police Force reveals that, as of December 7th, the total number of entries and exits has exceeded 200 million, setting a new record, which represents a 2.7 percent increase from 2019’s 190 million.
Of this record total, 72.3 million were Macau residents, making up 36 percent. Non-resident workers accounted for 28 percent, or 55.9 million.
China’s National Immigration Administration announced new travel rules for neighboring Zhuhai and Hengqin last month. Starting January 1st, 2025, mainland Chinese citizens with a Zhuhai household registration will be eligible for a new visa, allowing them one trip per week, with each trip lasting no more than seven days.
Additionally, those with a Hengqin residency permit can apply for a multiple-entry visa to Macau, allowing travel for up to seven days per trip, with no limit on the number of visits.
Visitor Arrivals with IVS OCT 2024
Earlier this year, the Individual Visa Scheme (IVS) for travel to Hong Kong and Macau was expanded to include ten more Chinese cities.
A fortunate player from Plantation, Florida, won a record-breaking progressive jackpot on the Dragon Link slot machine by Aristocrat Gaming. The $2,856,079 jackpot was secured with a $250 bet at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood. This is the seventh time the game has awarded over $1 million since January 2024.
The $1 Million Dragon Link™ by Aristocrat Gaming jackpot in the casino’s high-limit slots area started at $1 million and increased independently from other Dragon Link slots at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood and elsewhere.
The $2,856,079 jackpot is a record in Aristocrat Gaming history and is one of the largest Seminole Gaming slot payouts of all time. The largest wide-area progressive jackpot at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood hit in 2020 for $3.8 million.
“It’s exciting to see a life-changing jackpot win,” said David Hoenemeyer, Chief Operating Officer of Seminole Gaming. “Our players love Dragon Link and today’s win is one for the record books. Congratulations to the lucky winner.”
Kurt Gissane, CRO at Aristocrat Gaming
“Not only is this a historic win for the lucky player, but also a historic win for Dragon Link and Aristocrat Gaming,” said Kurt Gissane, Chief Revenue Officer for Aristocrat Gaming. “The team at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood has been incredible to work with, and we are excited to celebrate this milestone with them.”
Since its introduction at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood in June 2021, the $1 Million Dragon Link has been a crowd favorite for its high-denomination format. The popular slot machine has a $1 denomination and a minimum bet of $25, with a maximum bet of $2,500. Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood was the first location in the world to feature the $1 Million Dragon Link slot.
To date in 2024, Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood has paid out more than $1 billion in jackpots to more than 500,000 lucky winners.
Global betting company 1xBet confirmed its status as one of the leaders in the iGaming industry by taking part in Affiliate World Asia, the world’s top conference on effective marketing.
In 2024, the Affiliate World Conference celebrated its 10th anniversary. The forum was held in Bangkok from December 4 to 5 at the Centara Grand and Bangkok Convention Center. Around 6,000 people from over 110 countries attended, and more than 35 speakers took the stage. Notably, over 170 affiliate networks were represented at Affiliate World Asia, including the 1xPartners affiliate program.
1xBet welcomed guests at booth D11, one of the largest at the exhibition. The 1xBet team held meetings with potential partners in the cozy atmosphere of a branded bar. The betting company also organized a giveaway at the booth, offering an iPhone 16, AirPods Max, and other valuable gifts.
“Asia is strategically important for 1xBet. The company developed a growth plan for the Asian region in 2025 and presented it in Bangkok. We shared innovative ideas in affiliate marketing, agreed on joint projects, and will begin implementing them soon,” said a 1xBet representative.
Yolo Entertainment, the operator behind leading brands Bitcasino and Sportsbet.io, has announced four senior appointments, including a new Chief Operating Officer.
Sanda Vask becomes Yolo Entertainment COO, having spent almost six years at the company, most recently as Yolo Group’s Head of Legal. Vask will oversee daily business operations, ensuring teams collaborate seamlessly to achieve their goals and drive growth.
Anthony Cabrera joins as the new Director of Bitcasino. He draws upon two decades of online gaming experience at the likes of GiG and Entain, and will now lead the Bitcasino brand into a new era.
Amy Howard assumes the position of Director of Retention. Howard will be based out of Melbourne, Australia and will lead Yolo Entertainment’s CRM and VIP operations. She’s previously held similar roles in both the online and land-based sectors.
Sandra Vask, COO, Yolo EntertainmentAnthony Cabrera, Director of BitcasinoAmy Howard, Director of Retention
And Alexander McLoughlin joins as Director of Core Markets – Asia, following previous roles at Bally’s Interactive, Gameseys Group and other innovative ventures in early adopting crypto operators.
“We’re really pleased to welcome Sandra, Anthony, Amy and Alexander into their new leadership roles at Yolo Entertainment,” said Yolo Entertainment CEO, Matthew D’Emanuele.
“Sandra’s deep knowledge and understanding across our Yolo ecosystem, and in particular Yolo Entertainment, makes her the right individual to drive our daily operations. Anthony’s wealth of experience will help the Bitcasino brand continue the fantastic progress that has been made in 2024. Amy’s background both in and outside the industry ensures customers across all our segments can expect the very best, as she focuses on developing our retention strategy. Alexander’s experience running operations at major gaming companies means our key Asia markets are in safe hands. Together, they bring a wealth of experience, vision, and leadership that will strengthen Yolo Entertainment as we focus on delivering year on year growth in 2025!”
Yolo Entertainment brands continue to set the bar for excellence in crypto-first gaming, with Sportsbet.io recently announcing a landmark partnership with LALIGA.
Play’n GO, the world’s leading casino entertainment provider, has today announced the US network release of its hit title Buildin’ Bucks.
Buildin’ Bucks was released across Play’n GO’s other markets to great fanfare in September of this year, and has now been licensed for release in five US states, finally giving American players access to the Leprechaun-themed 5-reel video slot game, across a variety of licensed US operators.
Play’n GO has enjoyed a blockbuster 2024 in the United States, where it is now licensed in five US states, and has secured multiple operator partnerships across the country.
Anna Mackney, Head of Region US at Play’n GO, commented “We’ve been excited about the prospect of releasing Buildin’ Bucks in the US since its conception. This game has all the hallmarks to appeal to US players, and we’re looking forward to having it join the likes of Piggy Blitz, Colt Lightning Firestorm, and Reactoonz as one of our flagbearers in the US market. Play’n GO has had an exceptional year of operations in the United States in 2024, and this network release will give us a strong finish to the year. We’re already very optimistic about 2025 as we continue to seek growth opportunities across the region.”
Macau gaming operator Wynn Resorts Macau was recently ranked among the top 10 enterprises in the fourth Greater China Hotel Business Sustainability Index (Hotel BSI) and the top 20 enterprises in the fifth Greater Bay Area Business Sustainability Index (GBABSI) in the Business Sustainability Indices (BSI) 2024 assessment conducted by the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).
These remarkable rankings are a recognition of Wynn’s efforts and achievements in advancing sustainable development.
Since its launch in 2015 by the CUHK Business School’s Centre for Business Sustainability, the BSI offered a framework that supports companies in driving their sustainability strategy and promotes business practices that contribute to positive social and environmental impact.
The Hotel BSI aims to promote corporate social responsibility and business sustainability and encourage enterprises to continuously enhance their fulfillment of social responsibility. The jury evaluates the sustainability performance of enterprises in the four aspects of corporate values, process (management and practice), and impact.
Wynn has ranked among the top 10 enterprises for three consecutive years. This year, Wynn’s Hotel BSI score increased over 32% compared to the first year and was positioned as 26% above the average score of all the participating companies, which demonstrates Wynn’s determination in its pursuit of higher operational efficiency and enhanced sustainability.
Moreover, the GBABSI mainly encourages and supports enterprises to thrive in a responsible and sustainable manner so that they may contribute toward the sustainable development of the Greater Bay Area. Wynn has ranked among the top 20 companies in the GBABSI assessment for three consecutive years with a score 18% higher than the average of other participating enterprises.
Hitting the list once again this year is a testimony of Wynn’s continuous investment and progress in the field of environmental, social and governance, making Wynn a role model of Greater Bay Area enterprises.
For years, Wynn has actively implemented and strengthened its sustainable development strategies by introducing new technologies in support of sustainability. These efforts include becoming the first integrated resort in Macau to recycle shredded playing cards locally and pioneering the introduction of the automated water refilling system, Nordaq 2000 and the food waste management system powered by artificial intelligence, Winnow Vision to Macau which have significantly reduced the use of plastic bottles and food waste. Wynn has also extended its environmental protection plans and philosophy into the community.
In the future, Wynn will continue to enhance operational efficiency and strengthen its environmental, social, and governance policies and initiatives, such as supporting local suppliers and SMEs, facilitating talent cultivation and development, and promoting eco-friendly applications and innovation, thus enhancing its fulfillment of corporate social responsibility and contributing toward Macau’s long term sustainable development.
Philippine tycoon Dennis Uy’s PH Resorts Group Holdings has partnered with EEI Corporation to revive the long-stalled Emerald Bay Resort and Casino project in Mactan, Cebu.
PH Resorts Group‘s Chairman, Dennis Uy
The partnership was disclosed in a filing with the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) on Monday, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between PH Resorts’ parent company, Udenna Corporation, and EEI.
EEI is partially owned by RYM Business Management Corp, a company controlled by the family of Martin Romualdez, Speaker of the House of Representatives and a cousin of President Marcos, while Dennis Uy is known as an ally of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.
Under the agreement, EEI will be responsible for financing, constructing, and completing the $300 million integrated resort (IR), subject to the finalization of definitive agreements and regulatory approvals. This development marks significant progress for the project, which began in 2017 but has faced multiple delays.
If completed, Emerald Bay will feature a five-star hotel with 642 rooms. The gaming floor is expected to have over 700 electronic gaming machines and more than 140 table games.
On Monday, shares of PH Resorts tumbled 20 percent following the announcement of the agreement.
In November, PH Resorts Group reported a net loss of PHP392.9 million ($6.7 million) for the nine months ending September 30th, 2024, an improvement from a PHP2.2 billion ($37 million) loss in 2023. Despite this, the group continues to face financial challenges, with a deficit of PHP7.22 billion ($123 million) and liabilities exceeding assets by PHP12.55 billion ($214 million).
Before finalizing the partnership with EEI, the firm had struggled with the Emerald Bay Resort development. As reported by AGB, PH Travel, a subsidiary of PH Resorts, signed a term sheet with Bloomberry Resorts Corporation (BRC) in May 2022 for potential investment in LLI and CGLC, but BRC withdrew in March 2023. A new deal with Tiger Resort Leisure & Entertainment, Inc. (TRLEI) to take over the Emerald Bay project in December 2023 was also terminated in July 2024.
