“Massive post-POGO tasks” launched after the ban on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) came into effect on January 1st.
According to the nation’s news agency, state lawyers will now start sifting through the inventory of assets of the closed POGO operations, including “cancelling all certificates of birth fraudulently acquired by aliens/foreign nationals and forfeiting their illegally acquired real (estate) properties and other assets in the Philippines”.
According to the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), authorities don’t yet know the aggregate value of the assets in question, but “the first order of the day is to take possession of and control over them”.
Congressional investigations have determined that some Chinese nationals had used fake birth certificates to obtain Filipino citizenship, which allowed them to open companies and acquire properties.
Trying to seize the properties in question, however, has been “very slow”, and both the Senate and the House of Representatives are working to pass legislation to authorize the forfeiture of all POGO assets “in favor of the government”. This would include buildings, materials, equipment and proceeds of illegal POGOs.
POGO operations were ordered to completely shut down throughout the country by January 1st of 2025, following a mandate by the President and an Executive Order banning their operation.
New Zealand and Australia gaming operator SkyCity Entertainment Group has announced that it has been granted an extension on the review period of its property SkyCity Adelaide casino.
According to a company announcement, the report being compiled by Brian Martin is now expected to be completed by the end of May 2025.
The deadline had previously been set for December 31st of 2024.
The group notes that ‘it is possible that Mr Martin’s findings may be unfavorable. However, prior to any final report being provided by Mr Martin, it is not possible to determine the outcome of the independent review and what regulatory action, if any, might be applied to SkyCity Adelaide and SkyCity’.
The independent review into SkyCity Adelaide kicked off in June of 2024, after Australian courts approved the AU$67 million ($44.6 million) penalty laid out by Australia’s financial watchdog for SkyCity Adelaide.
The fine relates to past violations of the Australian Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006 and its rules spanning from December 7th, 2016 to December 14th, 2022.
The review follows similar proceedings against Crown Resorts and The Star Entertainment Group.
Macau’s gaming industry is poised for a strong start to the new year, with Citigroup projecting January 2025 GGR at MOP19 billion ($2.38 billion), averaging MOP613 million ($76.7 million) per day. This represents 76 percent of January 2019 levels.
According to a Citigroup investment memo, released after the Macau December GGR data, analyst George Choi notes that the growth outlook for January and February combined is even more encouraging, with a forecast for a 6 percent year-over-year increase. Citigroup emphasizes that the estimate ‘neutralizes the impact of the timing of Chinese New Year,’ with the Golden Week falling later this year, from January 28th to February 4th.
The projection for January also accounts for the slower Chinese New Year travel period, which typically occurs about two weeks before the Chinese New Year Golden Week.
Citigroup explained: ‘The implied 2 percent year-over-year decline in January reflects the timing of the Spring Festival travel rush, a traditionally quieter period for Macau.’
Taking a broader perspective, Citigroup anticipates combined January-February GGR to reach MOP40 billion ($5.01 billion), underscoring resilience despite timing challenges: ‘We estimate a 6 percent year-over-year growth for January and February 2025 combined, which aligns with Macau’s ongoing recovery trajectory.’
December 2024 performance
Macau’s December 2024 GGR reached MOP18.2 billion ($2.28 billion), averaging approximately MOP587 million ($73.5 million) per day—about 80 percent of December 2019 levels.
Although this figure fell slightly below the consensus forecast of MOP18.9 billion, Citigroup highlighted a strong finish to the month. The daily run rate for the final 16 days of December improved to MOP603 million ($75.5 million), around 4 percent higher than the week of December 9th, when it stood at MOP579 million ($72.5 million).
This late-month boost coincided with President Xi Jinping’s three-day visit to Macau for the 25th anniversary of the Handover. Citigroup suggested that the disruption caused by the top political official’s visit impacted gaming activities.
‘Macau had a strong finish in late December,’ indicating that after Xi’s departure, the city returned to recording positive figures in terms of GGR.
For the full year, Macau’s 2024 GGR totaled MOP226.8 billion ($28.39 billion), representing a 78 percent recovery compared to MOP292.5 billion in 2019.
Tourism during the Christmas season offered additional signs of recovery. Total visitation reached 728,000 between December 20th and 26th, with the Macau Public Security Police reporting a daily high of 112,025 visitors on December 25th—an 8 percent year-over-year increase.
Although Christmas is not a public holiday in mainland China, and December 24th and 25th are still working days, the brokerage noted that ‘hotel occupancy during the Christmas period stood at 90.8 percent, indicating robust demand from tourists.’
Mohegan INSPIRE has generated net revenues of $163.3 million since its opening in November 2023. In its fiscal fourth quarter, which ended on September 30th, 2024, the property generated $62.2 million in net revenue.
These figures were reported in the company’s financial results published on December 31st, 2024.
Mohegan INSPIRE Entertainment Resort held its soft opening on November 30th, 2023, and opened its foreigner-only casino in February 2024 after receiving a license from the South Korean regulator. The company held its official opening ceremony on March 5th, 2024.
Ari Glazer, Chief Financial Officer of Mohegan, notes that for the full fiscal year of 2024, which ended on September 30th, 2024, the company’s overall net revenues reached $1.9 billion, an increase of $216.7 million compared to the prior year.
This growth was driven by the addition of Mohegan INSPIRE, continued expansion in Mohegan Digital, and strong non-gaming revenues at the company’s other resorts.
In the financial results highlights, Mohegan reported that FY24 marked its highest annual net revenue in history, up 13 percent year-over-year, while Mohegan Digital net revenue increased by $60.1 million year-over-year for FY24.
The company’s consolidated Adjusted EBITDA for the year was $349 million, a decrease of $50.9 million compared to the prior year. This decline was primarily due to operating costs associated with the opening of Mohegan INSPIRE, low table hold at the property, an $11.9 million non-cash adjustment to the value of a customer contract asset at Niagara Resorts, $12.1 million in non-controlling interest at Niagara Resorts, and a full year of ilani management fees earned in the prior year. This was partially offset by strong growth in Mohegan Digital operations.
Mohegan INSPIRE celebrated its grand opening, themed “Invitation to INSPIRE: The Joining of Two Cultures,” at the Rotunda, with attendance of approximately 500 national and international key figures.
Fourth quarter
In the fourth quarter, which reflects the three-month period ending on September 30th, 2024, the company achieved robust performance, recording its second-highest quarterly net revenue in history, up 12 percent year-over-year.
The company’s net revenue for the quarter totaled $497.7 million, an increase of $53.4 million compared to the prior year. This growth was primarily due to continued expansion in Mohegan Digital and revenue generated by Mohegan INSPIRE.
Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA for the fourth quarter was $81.3 million, a decrease of $6.8 million compared to the prior year. This decline was mainly due to operating costs related to the opening of Mohegan INSPIRE and low table hold at the property.
Starting January 1st, 2025, a new visa policy has been introduced for Zhuhai and Hengqin residents. Zhuhai residents can now apply for a travel permit to visit Macau once a week, while Hengqin residents can apply for a multiple-entry visa.
According to local media outlet Macao Daily, this new policy, combined with the New Year holiday, has led to a noticeable increase in visitors at Gongbei Port, the busiest border crossing for Macau in terms of traffic volume. The flow of visitors at the port has remained smooth, with many mainland residents taking advantage of the holiday to visit Macau for sightseeing and shopping.
Zhuhai immigration authorities had previously projected an increase in visitors from neighboring cities to Macau. They also anticipated that there would not be a dramatic rise in visa applications following the start of the new visa scheme. Meanwhile, the authorities have upgraded their equipment in preparation for the scheme.
For first-time applicants, personal applications will require at least seven days for processing by immigration. However, for those who have already applied for a visa to visit Macau, the process will take only 10 minutes via the 24-hour machine.
The “One Week, One Trip” visa policy allows Zhuhai residents to visit Macau once per week within the calendar year, with each stay limited to seven days. Zhuhai has a population of about 2.49 million, with approximately 1.7 million holding local household registrations. This new measure will increase the frequency of visits for Zhuhai residents, who previously had the option to visit once every two months.
The policy is expected to foster greater integration between Zhuhai and Macau, promote cultural exchanges, and stimulate the local tourism and shopping markets. As for Hengqin, residents now have unrestricted access to Macau; however, the region is home to fewer than 40,000 residents.
Macau recorded a total of 34.93 million visitors in 2024, marking a 23.6 percent year-on-year increase and reaching 88.6 percent of the 2019 level, according to data provided by the Public Security Police Force.
This figure surpassed the previous projection of 34 million made by Macau’s tourism authorities.
Mainland Chinese visitors accounted for 70.1 percent of the total, with 24.48 million arrivals—an increase of 28.6 percent compared to 2023, but a 12.3 percent decrease from 2019.
Visitors from Hong Kong made up 20.6 percent of the total, while those from Taiwan and other international visitors represented 2.4 percent and 6.9 percent, respectively. Hong Kong arrivals declined by 0.8 percent, while Taiwanese and other international visitors increased by 64.1 percent and 66 percent, respectively.
In terms of border crossing distribution, the Gongbei Port ranked first, with 110 million entry and exit trips, accounting for 52.7 percent of the total. This was followed by the Qingmao Port, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge Macau Port, and Hengqin Port, which recorded 35.09 million, 26.18 million, and 22.81 million trips, respectively, making up 16.3 percent, 12.2 percent, and 10.6 percent of the total.
Several key records were set in 2024, including the total number of entry and exit trips surpassing 200 million for the year, setting a new high. On August 24th, Macau recorded its highest single-day total of 753,000 entry and exit trips. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge Macau Port saw its highest single-day passenger volume of 131,000 on February 12th.
Hengqin Port recorded its highest single-day entry and exit volume of 103,000 on October 3rd. Additionally, February 12th (the third day of Chinese New Year) marked the highest single-day entry of 217,000 visitors since the pandemic.
Thanks to improvements in immigration facilities, cross-border activities between Macau and neighboring areas have been streamlined, offering more transportation options on both the Macau and mainland sides, as well as a wider range of border crossing choices.
Revolver Gaming, a leading developer of premium online casino games, specializing in visually captivating and immersive slot experiences, has announced a new partnership with Regal Technologies, a prominent social sweepstakes operator.
This collaboration will bring Revolver’s high-quality, visually stunning slot games to the Sweepslots brand, offering players a fresh and exciting experience in the social sweepstakes gaming space.
As Sweepslots continues to grow its presence in the social gaming sector, it aims to deliver more engaging and dynamic gaming options to its expanding player base. By integrating Revolver’s diverse and innovative game portfolio, including popular titles like Badlands, Irish Coins, and Thor of Asgard, Sweepslots will further enhance its offerings, ensuring an immersive and entertaining experience for players.
“We’re excited to partner with Regal Technologies,” said Ryan Lazarus, CEO of Revolver Gaming. “This collaboration provides a fantastic opportunity to introduce our innovative games to a broader and expanding audience. Our titles are a great fit for social gaming, offering dynamic and engaging experiences that players will love.”
“We’re excited to bring Revolver Gaming’s high-quality slots to Sweepslots,” said John Nazario, Marketing Head at Regal Technologies. “Revolver’s titles perfectly complements our platform, and this partnership will allow us to offer our players even more thrilling and immersive experiences. We’re eager to see how this will elevate the entertainment value for our users and contribute to our platform’s continued growth.”
Macau’s gross gaming revenue (GGR) totaled MOP18.20 billion ($2.28 billion) in December, reflecting a 1.3 percent decrease from November‘s MOP18.44 billion ($2.31 billion).
The December figure was also the third-lowest of 2024, which may be related to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s three-day visit, which disrupted border activities and affected gaming performance.
According to data from the local regulator, the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ), the December figure also showed a 2 percent decrease compared to the same month last year.
For the entire year of 2024, Macau’s casino GGR reached MOP226.78 billion ($28.39 billion), marking a 23.9 percent increase compared to the previous year, however, still behind the 2019 marks that reached MOP292.45 billion ($36.7 billion).
The year 2024 marks the second year of Macau’s recovery from COVID-19, following the removal of all travel restrictions in early 2023. This has allowed the city to emerge from the shadow of the pandemic and the regulations that effectively shuttered it for three years. According to preliminary data, Macau’s visitor arrivals are approaching 35 million, surpassing the earlier projection of 33 million.
2024 also marks the second year of the new gaming licenses for the six concessionaires, with operators continuing to adapt to the evolving environment. This includes a shift away from junkets, a focus on the mass market model, and efforts to enhance the premium mass segment.
The results have exceeded the Macau government’s expectations. The Macau SAR’s 2024 budget plan had forecasted that the city’s GGR could reach MOP216 billion ($27.07 billion) in 2024. Further growth is also projected, with an expected increase to MOP240 billion ($30.1 billion) by 2025.
Macau gaming operator Wynn Resorts (Macau) has announced a partnership with the world’s leading luxury travel network Virtuoso and a collaboration with the globally renowned Al Jazeera Media Network to boost international visitation to Macau, attract more Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions (MICE) events, and showcase Macao as a leading global tourism destination.
Most recently, Wynn partnered with Virtuoso, a leading global network of travel agencies specializing in luxury and experiential travel, to host a “Virtuoso On Tour” event at Wynn Palace.
Renowned as a powerhouse in the luxury travel industry, Virtuoso invited luxury travel advisors, preferred partners and high-net-worth clientele from China, France, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, the UK, and the United States to Macao for a 3-day “Virtuoso On Tour” networking event at Wynn Palace last month.
Virtuoso travel advisors use their firsthand expertise to craft bespoke trips for clients including unique experiences, VIP treatment, exclusive access to events and more. To kick off the tour in Macao, Wynn partnered with Virtuoso to host an unforgettable Welcome Dinner at Wynn Palace Entertainment Event Marquee featuring colorful, live entertainment and exceptional gastronomy to showcase the East West flavors of Macao.
Beyond the recent Virtuoso tour, Wynn has hosted a number of travel trade familiarization visits in Macao throughout the year. From March to early November, Wynn has been partnering with the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) to host key travel trade partners from Hong Kong, Indonesia, Mainland China, Malaysia, Portugal, and Thailand. In addition to partnering with MGTO, Wynn has also been hosting its own “Macao MICE Exploration Tour and Meeting” familiarization tours between April and September this year for travel trade partners from Beijing, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Shanghai, Taiwan, and Thailand.
During these tours, travel trade partners from each of these destinations were given the opportunity to indulge in the luxurious accommodation at Wynn Palace, explore all of the unique experiences at the integrated resort, participate in team building activities in Macau, network with local travel trade partners and discover all that Macao has to offer as a MICE destination. Following on from these travel trade familiarization visits, Wynn is witnessing a growing interest in Macao from high-end, global travelers and MICE event planners.
Wynn has also just forged a new strategic partnership with Al Jazeera Media Network (AJMN) during the recent World Travel Mart in London. By partnering with AJMN, Wynn looks forward to welcoming more visitors from the Middle East to Macao, where they will discover the city’s vibrant mix of East-West culture, extraordinary entertainment, and exceptional gastronomy.
Good morning. It’s the final countdown to 2025, ladies and gentlemen. Until then, 2024 still has something to say, and we have news to bring. Starting the round-up in the Philippines, the POGO ban has led to some impact in employment in Cagayan, while small-scale POGOs are still trying to find ways to avoid the axe until the last minute. In Vietnam, the Corona Resort & Casino announced that it will temporarily suspend Vietnamese citizens from playing starting from Jan 1st. In Cambodia, NagaCorp has decided to terminate its Share Award Scheme due to worsening business performance, as the local government decided to lower e-visa fees for tourists, business visitors and other travelers in 2025. Meanwhile, Macau has inaugurated its new 50,000-capacity outdoor concert venue in Cotai with a star-studded show.
Established over a decade ago, The MongolZ has experienced numerous roster changes. However, in 2023, The MongolZ made a triumphant return, fueled by a robust partnership with 1xBet and the emergence of a new generation of talented Mongolian players.
Altenar, a leading sportsbook provider is bringing its global expertise to Asia, looking to expand its operations. Since 2011, Altenar has powered hundreds of online sports betting sites worldwide and is a major B2B provider in Europe and Latin America licensed markets.
