Former Mayor Alice Guo of Bamban, Tarlac, faces potential prosecution if she returns to China, according to Philippine Senator Sherwin Gatchalian.
In a recent interview with the ABS-CBN News Channel, Gatchalian highlighted the stringent gambling laws in China, particularly concerning Philippine Offshore and Gaming Operators (POGOs), which Guo is alleged to have supported.
Gatchalian pointed out that recent updates to Chinese gambling legislation have broadened the scope of prosecutable offenses related to gambling activities.
“In China, merely investing in or being associated with gambling can lead to legal consequences”, he stated. He suggested that Guo would likely face legal action in China if she returns, given her involvement with POGOs, which are illegal there.
Regarding reports of Guo’s departure from the Philippines, Gatchalian mentioned that his office is still verifying the information.
Gatchalian shared that Guo filed a counter affidavit related to a human trafficking case on August 14th, personally visiting a notary public for the process. “According to the notary public, Guo was indeed present in the country as of August 14th”, he noted.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding her whereabouts, Gatchalian assured that legal proceedings against Guo would continue. He revealed plans for the Senate to pursue additional charges against her, including perjury and disobedience. “The long arm of the law will eventually catch up with her”, he asserted.
If convicted, Gatchalian indicated that extradition back to the Philippines could be pursued, especially if Guo seeks refuge in neighboring Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia or Malaysia.
Online betting operator PlayUp Interactive, trading as Draftstars, has been fined AU$586,000 (nearly $400,000) for offering free bets to potential players.
The operator received a record penalty for illegally promoting gambling inducements in multiple advertisements. PlayUp Interactive was found to have offered free bets and other incentives to attract players in 33 ads displayed on its website.
Sydney’s Downing Center Local Court imposed the fine after the company was found guilty of all 33 offenses.
In New South Wales, it is illegal to offer incentives to open betting accounts, refer friends, maintain an account, or agree to receive gambling advertising.
Liquor & Gaming NSW Director of Compliance & Enforcement, Dimitri Argeres, said online betting operators were well aware of the legislation in NSW regarding inducements.
“NSW bans the advertisement of any offer of an inducement to participate in a gambling activity, including an inducement to bet more frequently, to persons who do not hold a betting account with the operator,” Argeres said.
“Wagering operators like PlayUp Interactive are allowed to legally advertise their products in various ways, but they can’t advertise or promote inducements such as offers of increased odds or bonus bets to entice people to open a betting account.
“It is the responsibility of the betting service provider to ensure prohibited gambling advertising is not published or communicated in NSW.
“Liquor & Gaming NSW will continue to take a zero-tolerance approach to these offenses, and this sentence shows that strong penalties can apply,” noted the official.
Sydney-based PlayUp also operates in New Zealand, India, and the US. It is Australia’s largest daily fantasy sports provider and an approved betting operator for major sports organizations like the NRL, AFL, and Cricket Australia.
The AU$586,000 fine imposed on PlayUp surpasses the AU$210,000 ($141,000) penalty given to Betr in 2023 for 14 similar infringements related to inducements in advertisements.
Good morning. Cash is king. That fact hasn’t gone unnoticed by authorities in mainland China, as they try to stem every outflow of capital from the country. The death of junkets in Macau has led to the surge in illicit money exchangers, with efforts against the operations intensifying on both sides of the border, however, this will most likely only affect VIP play, notes an expert. Also in Macau, thepremium mass segment appears to be doing well, with Galaxy in particular expanding market share as wagers rise.
Macau is pushing forward with efforts to curb illegal money exchange operations which have plagued its casinos, in particular following the elimination of the junket sector. New legislative efforts should have an impact on VIP, but are unlikely to curb mass GGR, notes gaming scholar Carlos Siu. Further efforts to curb the illegal activity are expected on both sides of the border, as China urges Macau to help tap the money outflow.
Online gaming fraud is on the rise in the iGaming industry. In Q1 2022, there was an 85% increase in fake account registrations compared to Q4 2021. While players are undoubtedly affected by gaming fraud, iGaming platforms also suffer due to damaged reputations, huge financial losses, and legal consequences.
Citigroup, in its August premium mass table survey, has observed that Macau continues to demonstrate resilience in gaming amid China’s economic headwinds, maintaining robust player demand.
The survey shows that total premium mass wagers grew both year-over-year and quarter-on-quarter. Meanwhile, Macau gaming operator Galaxy Entertainment Group (GEG) likely gained market share.
In a detailed analysis of the survey data, Citigroup notes that the total wagers observed in August this year amounted to HK$12.8 million ($1.6 million), up 35 percent year-over-year from HK$9.5 million ($1.2 million) the previous year.
This robust result was driven by a 40 percent year-over-year increase in player count. The survey identified a total of 655 premium mass players.
This implies that the wager per player in August 2024 fell to HK$19,606 ($2,517), which is 7 percent lower than July 2024’s HK$21,193 ($2,720). This decline reflects ‘normal seasonality’.
Analysts George Choi and Ryan Cheung note that data from 2019 surveys show a similar month-over-month decline in wager per player, around 6 percent. The seasonal trend is due to August, a month with strong visitation, also attracting more casual and less enthusiastic players.
The survey found an increase in ‘whales’ this month. A ‘whale’ is defined as a player whose bet size ranges from HK$100,000 to HK$500,000 ($12,800 – $64,000) per hand or more. The number of whales observed was 25, compared to 23 last month and 24 in August last year.
The ‘Player of the Month’ was noted at the Dragon Palace of Melco’s City of Dreams, where he placed a HK$600,000 ($77,006) bet. His friend, sitting next to him, placed a HK$400,000 ($51,337) bet on the same hand.
There were also six whales who bet between HK$130,000 and HK$330,000 ($16,680 – $42,350) during a short visit to Galaxy Macau’s Horizon Room. Whales betting HK$100,000 to HK$330,000 ($12,830 – $42,350) were observed at Wynn Palace’s Chairman Club.
Galaxy MacauWynn Palace
Regarding premium market share, Citigroup notes that Galaxy ranks number one in the premium mass survey, with approximately 29 percent of the total wagers observed, up from 25 percent last month. Eight out of the 25 whales were seen at its casinos.
Citigroup’s survey results seem to echo Galaxy management’s recent comments on its earnings call: Galaxy’s market share in August to date has improved from the July level, and mass table drop in August is 10-15 percent higher compared to 2024.
An expansion in smart gaming tables has been observed across several prominent casinos in Macau. The survey reveals 30 new smart tables at Studio City’s grind mass area, all tables at Londoner’s Apex room are now smart, and Venetian has increased its smart tables to 225 in the grind mass area, up from 73 last month. Additionally, 28 tables in Venetian’s High Limit area are now smart.
Recent legislative amendments in Macau aim to tackle the rising problem of illicit money exchange operations, a key issue that has caught the attention of both local and mainland Chinese authorities, a gaming researcher and academic tells AGB.
Professor Carlos Siu, Center for Gaming and Tourism Studies, Macao Polytechnic University
According to Carlos Siu Lam, an Associate Professor at the Macau Polytechnic University Center for Gaming and Tourism Studies, these changes are part of a larger effort by mainland China to crack down on illegal financial activities.
“With the increased number of cases related to illicit money exchanges—such as unauthorized credit services, cross-border money remittances, and group fights among casino patrons—it’s clear that such acts are not vastly different from those of junket operations in the past. There is a pressing need to suppress these activities”, Siu told AGB.
Recently, it was revealed that Macau is set to criminalize illegal money exchanges at casinos.
The proposed law, currently under review by the 2nd Permanent Committee of the SAR’s Legislative Assembly, includes provisions for a maximum penalty of five years in prison for anyone involved in unauthorized currency exchange for gambling purposes. This legislation will also cover any exchange activities in casinos and surrounding tourist facilities.
All related facilities used for games of chance or other business activities will be deemed part of the ‘casino,’ expanding the scope of regulation significantly.
Beyond prison sentences, offenders may be banned from entering Macau casinos for periods ranging from two to ten years. These changes are expected to go to a vote later this year, reflecting the government’s commitment to tackling this issue head-on.
The president of the 2nd Permanent Commission of Macau’s Legislative Assembly has highlighted that the activities of money exchange groups have intensified and have led to disruptions for other players and the overall functionality of casinos.
Following orders from the above
The response from the SAR authorities comes after China’s Ministry of Public Security urged enhanced cooperation between security forces in Macau and the mainland to address these illegal operations effectively.
The emergence of unregulated “money changers” near Macau’s casinos has become a pivotal method for shifting funds across jurisdictions, particularly between the mainland and Macau.
The link between these illicit practices and the earlier junket system highlights the desire for tighter regulatory control to ensure a safer and more stable gaming environment.
The question of whether more policies will arise to combat these illegal activities has also been addressed by Siu, who commented to AGB that more policies to handle these activities and operations are expected from both sides of the border.
When asked about the potential impact on Macau’s gross gaming revenue (GGR), Carlos Siu stated that “such acts will have some effect on the revenue from the VIP segment. For the mass floor, it is not going to affect the revenue.”
For Siu, this suggests that while high-stakes gambling may see a decline due to stricter regulations, the broader mass gaming sector is likely to remain stable.
According to Chinese authorities, criminal groups illegally exchange large amounts of Hong Kong dollars, via clandestine banks, in places such as Zhuhai, and then smuggle this money to Macau, where it is distributed to gamblers from the mainland.
These illegal money changer groups allow Chinese gamblers to bypass Beijing’s restrictions on moving money out of the country by offering currency exchange services, often at hotel properties.
The movements of the mainland Chinese authorities have been followed by operations by local authorities, with Macau’s gaming watchdog – the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) – reporting that the police authorities in Macau and mainland China have carried out exclusive actions to combat illegal scalpers.
Between January and May this year, Macau police said they intercepted 1,924 illegal money changers, whom they banned from entering the territory.
Additionally, 927 individuals were added to the casino no-entry list, and administrative sanctions were applied to 30 residents for illegal currency exchange.
Macau’s Ponte 16 operator, Success Universe, has flagged a potential loss ranging between HK$30 million ($3.9 million) and HK$50 million ($6.4 million) for 1H24, attributed to a decline in fair value.
The profit warning was issued through a filing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on Monday, ahead of the company’s financial results announcement.
According to the filing, the company notes that this anticipated loss contrasts with an unaudited consolidated profit of approximately HK$153.8 million ($19.7 million) for the corresponding period last year.
The group’s unaudited consolidated loss for the six months ending June 30th, 2024, is primarily due to a fair value loss on its overseas listed equity securities, compared to a fair value gain of approximately HK$105.5 million ($13.5 million) recorded in the same period last year.
Additionally, the group registered a fair value loss on its investment properties and recognized write-downs/impairment losses on the carrying amounts of its properties, leasehold land, and buildings classified under property, plant, and equipment.
In contrast, the previous corresponding period saw a fair value gain on investment properties and a reversal of write-downs on the carrying amounts of its properties, totaling HK$2.3 million ($295,200).
The company emphasizes that the aforementioned fair value losses are ‘unrealized in nature and are non-cash items, which will not affect the cash flows of the Group’.
Popular iGaming content provider BGaming has injected the classic Minesweeper video game with a modern twist in its latest release, Mine Gems. The simple yet captivating casual game features progressive multipliers, recognisable diamond and dynamite symbols and a mini field.
The aim of Mine Gems is to extract as many gems as possible while carefully navigating a field of hidden explosives, in the hope of multiplying the bet amount. Under the 5×12 grid are diamonds and dynamite bundles, covered with ice. Players must select a square on each row, hoping to find a gem and dodge the explosives underneath.
Each horizontal row has one explosive that could put an end to the player’s mining attempt by exploding against four diamonds which have the power to multiply their bet by the value assigned to the row. Multipliers range from x1.23 to x14.28, with a maximum win of €1,428 on offer.
Unlike any other release in BGaming’s portfolio, this combination of exhilarating odds, easy-to-understand gameplay and engaging audiovisual effects offers a fun and distinct experience for players.
Mikalai Dzeneladze, Chief Casual Game Producer at BGaming, said: “Minesweeper is a universally recognised computer game, with tiles, symbols and heart-racing gameplay that has been capturing the attention of players since the nineties. We are delighted to release Mine Gems, which is inspired by this hit title and modernizes the widely loved concept.
Pragmatic Play, one of the iGaming industry’s leading content suppliers, offers 7,776 ways to win up to 12,500x in its latest slot, Sumo Supreme Megaways.
Rikishi, kettlebells, and gold bars add weight to the reels in Sumo Supreme Megaways, where a box beneath each reel displays the total weight of the symbols above it. If one of these weights equals or exceeds the random target weight shown next to the grid, the box opens to reveal one of three random prizes: a money award of up to 500x the bet, a win multiplier of 2x-5x, or expanding wilds that fill the reel.
The target weight drops after every tumble, providing more opportunities to win. A box can open only once per spin, but if all five boxes hit during tumbles, the last to open reveals all three prizes. Randomly on any spin, the maximum 7,776 ways to win can be applied, increasing players’ chances of making the weight and breaking the boxes.
Sumo Supreme Megaways is the latest addition to Pragmatic Play’s award-winning Slots portfolio, following recent releases Money Stacks and Running Sushi.
Irina Cornides, Chief Operating Officer at Pragmatic Play, said: “Offering unique reel modifiers, immersive and original gameplay, and big win potential of up to 12,500x, Sumo Supreme Megaways joins a list of heavyweight slots from Pragmatic Play.”
Alice Guo, the controversial and recently dismissed “POGO Mayor”, has seemingly fled the Philippines and traveled to Malaysia and Singapore, according to Philippine Senator Risa Hontiveros.
According to Hontiveros, Guo left the Philippines on the 17th of July and was recorded as entering Malaysia at 12:17pm the same day. She said there can be no mistake about this as the data matched her passport, which she showed to the room during the Senate session.
Hontiveros also said that Guo has also traveled to Singapore to meet her parents, Lin Wen Yi and Guo JianZhong. The senator went on to chide local officials for allowing this to happen, saying that Guo could not have escaped the country without the aid of authorities.
Her colleague, Sherwin Gatchalian, however, placed doubts over the whereabouts of Guo. In the same Senate session, he stated that Guo Hua Ping, aka Alice Guo, had filed for a motion to reopen and admit a counter affidavit in her case on August 15th.
This is according to the Department of Justice, said Gatchalian, who then went on to say that the counter affidavit was notarized by an attorney called Elmer Galicia, who is based in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan.
When his staff checked on the law firm, they were seemingly told that Guo had personally met with Galicia on August the 14th. This would place doubts onto the real whereabouts of Guo and the Senator claimed that she is playing games and insulting the institution of the Senate through her actions.
China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, has proposed enhanced cooperation between China, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand to address the growing threat of cross-border crime, with a specific focus on online gambling and telecom fraud.
According to state-owned media Global Times, during an informal meeting in Chiang Mai with the foreign ministers of Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand, Wang Yi emphasized the urgent need for stronger regional collaboration to effectively tackle these criminal activities.
The Ninth Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, held in Chiang Mai on Friday, saw the heads of delegations from the six Lancang-Mekong countries issue a joint statement. The statement stressed the importance of collective efforts to combat cross-border crimes, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
In his remarks at the meeting, Wang Yi highlighted security as a crucial foundation for national development. He noted that the four countries have conducted a series of joint operations against cross-border crime, leading to the arrest of over 50,000 individuals involved in gambling and fraud since last year.
Wang called for enhanced border controls to secure national boundaries and manage key entry points to prevent illegal crossings. He also advocated for improved intelligence sharing, continuous joint operations, and swift action to apprehend and repatriate criminals who have fled across borders.
This marks the second consecutive year that the four nations have discussed this cooperation. Last year, the establishment of a cooperation center was announced in Thailand’s Chiang Mai province.
