Additional charges are expected to be brought against “POGO Mayor”Alice Guo, who stands accused of facilitating illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO) hubs, the nation’s Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) said.
On Friday, the PAOCC and the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) lodged a complaint against Guo and others for alleged human trafficking linked to the raided POGO hub in her municipality.
Winston John Casio, spokesperson for the PAOCC, indicated that additional charges were being readied against the embattled mayor. This time, the charges pertain to her alleged involvement in the raided illegal POGO compound in Porac, Pampanga.
During a televised Bagong Pilipinas public briefing, Casio stated, “We are currently preparing additional cases this week, possibly extending into next week. Once we have completed all documentary requirements, including the complaint affidavit, we will file the case with the DOJ (Department of Justice).”
Casio also emphasized that digital footprints and paper trails from raided POGO hubs in Porac and Bamban establish Guo’s involvement in their operations.
He added, “Since charges have already been filed against her in Bamban, there’s a possibility of additional charges being filed against Mayor Guo in connection with the Porac POGO or in relation to the Bamban case.”
Guo, whose identity and citizenship are under scrutiny, was placed on a six-month preventive suspension without pay by the Office of the Ombudsman on May 31st. This followed administrative complaints from the Department of the Interior and Local Government alleging grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, gross neglect of duty, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.
The Indonesian National Police are collaborating with Interpol to crack down on the growing problem of online gambling in the country.
Gambling, both online or land-based, is illegal in Indonesia.
Citing comments from Inspector General Krishna Murti, the head of the International Relations Division of the National Police, Tempo.co reported that the country’s police are having a technical-level meeting this week with Interpol’s Senior Officer Meeting on Transnational Crime, which is being held in Laos.
The goal of the collaboration is to increase the exchange of information between the Indonesian police and Interpol, which can help identify, track down, and take action against online gambling operations within Indonesia.
In addition to working with Interpol, the National Police will also be cooperating with the police forces of neighboring countries, as many Indonesian nationals are involved in online gambling operations in Southeast Asia.
To prevent these individuals from leaving Indonesia to engage in online gambling abroad, the National Police have revoked passports, restricted, banned, and prevented the departure of those suspected of being involved.
Indonesia’s government has also instructed telecommunications providers to block access to websites operating out of Cambodia and the Philippines that are suspected of being linked to illegal online gambling.
This move comes as Indonesia’s Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center has reported a concerning surge in online gambling activity. In the first quarter of 2024 alone, over IDR600 trillion ($36.4 billion) in transactions were flagged as potentially related to gambling.
Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo established a special task force in June 2024 to crackdown on online gambling
Participants and organizers of a gambling event can be sentenced to a maximum of 10 years in prison and a IDR25-million ($1,500) fine.
Meanwhile, those distributing online gambling software can face up to six years in prison and a IDR1-billion ($60,000 dollars) fine.
Authorities say the number of people involved in online gambling has reached 3.2 million, often targeting young people and those from low-income households. Thousands of bank accounts suspected of being used for illegal gambling have been temporarily blocked.
Kongah said that the number of transactions suspectedly related to gambling activities has been increasing in recent years. His office recorded some 11,000 online transactions in 2022 and some 24,000 online transactions in 2023.
In the January-May period this year, some 14,000 online transactions were recorded, he said.
“All these figures have shown that our problems related to online gambling are very worrying,” he noted to Xinhua News Agency, adding that some 5,000 bank accounts suspected to be related to online gambling have been temporarily blocked.
The funds were also detected to have flowed out of Indonesia to other countries, such as Thailand, the Philippines and Cambodia.
According to a recent report from the Ministry for Communications and Information, more than 2 million online gambling sites have been blocked with the use of artificial intelligence systems and cyber patrols, Xinhua reported.
However, online alternative gambling sites continue to appear, with authorities continuing to ramp up search for those operating and promoting such sites.
To address the crisis, Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo established a special task force in June 2024 to crackdown on online gambling across the archipelago, following reports that some online gambling operations are also linked to money laundering.
Emperor Entertainment Hotel Limited has reported a remarkable financial turnaround for the financial year ended March 31st, with the company’s total revenue surging by 171.1 percent to HK$789.3 million ($101.1 million).
This growth from the HK$291.1 million ($37.3 million) registered in the previous year was driven by a resurgence in visitor arrivals and increased demand in the hospitality and entertainment sectors.
Emperor Entertainment reported a net profit of HK$62.8 million ($8 million), a significant improvement from the HK$128.0 million ($16.4 million) net loss recorded in 2023.
The post-pandemic revival in tourism has been instrumental in the group’s success, with Hong Kong receiving over 40.8 million tourists, approaching pre-pandemic levels. Similarly, Macau’s gaming sector saw a massive 423.6 percent increase in revenue, with visitor numbers up by 266.4 percent.
The company’s revenue from hotels and serviced apartments increased by 62.3 percent to HK$330.1 million ($42.3 million), driven by higher occupancy rates and a diversified portfolio.
At the same time, gaming revenue saw a notable rise to HK$459.2 million ($58.8 million), reflecting a strong rebound in consumer sentiment and entertainment demand.
The company announced the proposed acquisition of property interests valued at HK$700 million ($89.6 million), aimed at further expanding its footprint in Hong Kong’s Central district. This move is still pending shareholder approval.
The property is a 25-story apartment building located in Central, Hong Kong.
Emperor Entertainment Hotel’s business currently covers a total of six hotels and serviced apartments in Hong Kong and Macau, including Macau’s Grand Emperor Hotel and its casino, which operates under SJM’s gaming concession.
Emperor Entertainment Hotel Limited maintained a robust financial position with HK$645.8 million ($82.7 million) in cash reserves, with the group saying its strong liquidity and zero gearing ratio underscored its financial stability.
The company also remained optimistic about sustained growth, driven by ongoing government initiatives and infrastructure improvements that facilitate easier access for mainland Chinese tourists.
‘Macau’s position as a leading gaming and entertainment hub is expected to bolster long-term market growth,’ the group noted.
Embattled Australian gaming operator The Star has announced that it’s expecting lower sequential revenue in the fourth quarter of its financial year (ending June 30th), as revenue from its premium customers declines, expenses from remediation efforts mount and the over economic environment continues to lag.
In a Monday trading update, the group indicated that it was anticipating a quarterly drop in revenue of 4.3 percent, also down 3.3 percent yearly. The group highlights that it’s now expecting its FY24 revenue to be between AU$1.67 billion ($1.11 billion) and AU$1.68 billion ($1.12 billion).
Normalized group EBITDA for the financial year is expected to be between AU$165 million ($110 million) and AU$180 million ($120 million).
In the first three months of 2024 (3Q24 for The Star), the group registered a loss of AU$6.8 million ($4.4 million), attributed to the ongoing absence of high-end players, with total revenue totaling AU$419.2 million ($274 million).
During the period there were drops of 19.3 percent, 20 percent and 28 percent in the revenues from premium gaming rooms in The Star Sydney, The Star Gold Coast and Treasury Brisbane, respectively.
For the fourth financial quarter (ending June 30th), the group is projecting that revenue from its Premium Gaming Rooms (PGRs) will decline by 16.5 percent across the group, compared to the same quarter of 2023.
This is based on declines of 13.2 percent yearly in PGR revenue from The Star Sydney, 22.6 percent from The Star Gold Coast and 18.2 percent from Treasury Brisbane.
However, the Main Gaming Floor delivered ‘a sound performance’, with revenue expected to be up 5.2 percent yearly. This ‘has not been sufficient to offset the overall decline,’ notes the group.
MGF revenue for the group’s Sydney property is expected to be down 0.9 percent yearly, whereas Gold Coast MGF revenue should be up 4.9 percent. Treasury Brisbane’s MGF is also trending down, with expectations for a 6.9 percent yearly drop.
The group is also trying to tackle mounting operating expenses, which have increased to AU$92.5 million ($61.55 million) in its fourth financial quarter.
The group notes that it is seeking ‘a range of initiatives’ to reduce its operating costs, while also reviewing the potential sale of non-core assets.
The group is currently in negotiations for the sale of its Treasury casino, hotel and car park and notes that it has ‘commenced a process to sell the Festival Car Park in Brisbane’.
The Star has faced a raft of executive changes recently, with the group’s Chairman – David Foster – resigning, following the resignations of CEO Robbie Cooke and CFO Christina Katsibouba in the first quarter.
Good Morning. Not only illegal but a threat to national security. That’s what the authors of a recent whitepaper say about illegal gambling in India, concerned not only about the outflow of billions of dollars to offshore accounts, but the vulnerability of users of betting apps, who are signing up for more than they bargained for. Meanwhile, in junket news, the Dowinn Group has postponed reopening its operations in the Philippines, prompting further concern from the industry over its viability.
Ratings agency Moody’s has given a positive outlook on gaming operators in Macau and Southeast Asia, citing the growing earnings and cash flow over the next 12-18 months as visitor numbers further improve, boosting revenue.
According to Moody’s latest commentary, the agency expects full-year gross gaming revenue (GGR) in Macau to reach 75-80 percent of pre-pandemic 2019 levels by 2024 and 2025, compared to 63 percent in 2023 and 14 percent in 2022.
‘The pace at which revenue improves will slow compared to the surge in 2023 after China ended pandemic border restrictions. But revenue will nevertheless continue to grow as visitor numbers recover further from the pandemic downturn, despite slower economic growth in China this year than last year,’ the report states.
For the gaming sector in Southeast Asia, analysts expect a resurgence of tourist arrivals to support solid revenue growth over the next 12-18 months.
‘One potential risk to this view is that, according to media reports, Chinese embassies have warned citizens against gambling overseas. In a worst-case scenario where Chinese tourist numbers decline significantly, the gaming sectors in Singapore and Malaysia will be less exposed than the Cambodian market,’ the report reads.
Currently, gaming operators in Singapore and Malaysia are less dependent on Chinese tourists than those in Cambodia, and they have significant non-gaming operations, including theme parks and retail. Revenue from Genting Berhad’s operations in Singapore and Malaysia increased meaningfully over the last two years as tourist arrivals from outside China recovered quickly after the COVID-19 pandemic.
In contrast, revenue for Cambodia’s NagaCorp remains well below 2019 levels. Moody’s notes that NagaCorp derived around 60 percent of its revenue from the referral VIP segment before the pandemic, and its collaboration with junket operators resulted in a high proportion of VIP players from greater China.
‘Tourists from China will likely return over time, but we do not expect a significant recovery in the referral VIP gaming segment because of China’s strict regulation of junket operators,’ the report states.
Moody’s expects NagaCorp’s revenue to recover gradually over the next two years to 35-41 percent of 2019 levels. However, EBITDA will recover more strongly to 48-55 percent of 2019 levels, ‘because of the greater contribution from NagaCorp’s mass market and premium VIP segments, which have much higher margins than the referral VIP market.
NagaCorp also benefits from a sizable expatriate community residing in Cambodia and tourist arrivals from other destinations.’
The Star has announced that David Foster has resigned as director of the Board and that current interim Chief Financial Officer Neale O’Connell will be stepping in as acting CEO.
Chairman Anne Ward has also taken on additional responsibilities. Both O’Connell and Ward will carry out the duties until a new permanent group CEO and Managing Director are appointed.
The search for the new CEO and MD is underway and the company ‘expects to make an announcement in the near term’.
Due to the arrangement, O’Connell is set to receive an additional AU$40,000 per month (effective June 24th), while Ward will receive AU$20,000 per month (effective April 29th, when Ward was appointed as Chairman).
The news comes amongst The Star’s continued remediation efforts and a second Bell Inquiry into its suitability to maintain its casino license in Sydney.
SkyCity Entertainment Group has announced that it is selling its entire shareholding in Gaming Innovation Group (GiG), which it acquired in April of 2022.
GiG is a European-based online gaming platform provider and media services operator, via which SkyCity operated its SkyCity Online Casino (out of Malta).
In a Tuesday note, the group indicated that ‘SkyCity has decided to divest its shareholding in GiG as it is non-core to its ongoing operations, and is now not considered strategically necessary for SkyCity’.
The group is expecting net proceeds of approximately NZ$55 million after brokerage and legal costs. The company initially acquired its stake in GiG for about NZ$40 million.
The funds are intended to be used to pay down the group’s debt ‘as part of its ongoing prudent approach to capital management’.
A regional police chief in Central Luzon is under investigation for accountability over illegal offshore gaming operators in his jurisdiction.
In a press briefing on Monday, Philippine National Police chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil indicated that this comes after incidents of “unreported killings” which allegedly took place in the POGO hubs, indicating such hubs were running “scam farms”.
The chief indicated that the investigation was opened as the events “were not acted upon properly”.
In addition, the official indicated that the entire roster of personnel of the Bamban, Tarlac Municipal Police Station, the chief of Police of Porac, Pampanga and the director of the Pampanga Police Provisional Office had been relieved of duty.
“Why are there foreigners dying there? […] They should look into it”.
However, the official says he did not see the police officers as “protectors” of POGOs.
Another government official indicated that authorities have found a link between the raided POGO hubs in Central Luzon.
“We are in the process of applying a warrant regarding computer data and upon completion of these processes we will give you the result of the examination of these computers and other equipment in Porac,” noted Criminal Investigation and Detection Group director Maj. Gen Leo Francisco.
Yet another official indicated that, according to PAGCOR data, only 43 legal POGOs are operating in Kawit, Cavite and Metro Manila.
The area has been under public scrutiny after a raid on a POGO which authorities believe could be linked to Bamban Mayor Alice Guo. Guo has been suspended over charges of grave misconduct.
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