Macau’s hotel occupancy rate climbed to 94.6 percent in February 2026, driven by robust travel demand during the Chinese New Year holiday, according to data from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC).
The figure marked an increase of 4 percentage points year-on-year, with the extended nine-day holiday period in mainland China, from February 15th to February 23rd, supporting visitor arrivals.
Occupancy rates rose across all hotel categories, reaching 96.5 percent for 5-star hotels, 93.7 percent for 4-star hotels and 90.9 percent for 3-star hotels, all recording year-on-year growth.
The number of hotel guests increased by 10.1 percent to 1.23 million in February. Visitors from mainland China totaled 955,000, up 11.8 percent, while arrivals from Hong Kong rose 6.6 percent to 124,000. In contrast, international guest numbers fell 5.7 percent to 81,000, with declines in visitors from Japan partially offset by modest growth from South Korea and Thailand.
Package tour arrivals declined by 8.6 percent year-on-year to 134,000, reflecting a shift toward independent travel, particularly among mainland visitors under the Individual Visit Scheme (IVS).
For the first two months of 2026, average hotel occupancy stood at 93.1 percent, up 2.4 percentage points year-on-year. Total guest numbers rose 4.5 percent to 2.48 million, with international visitors increasing by 12.9 percent to 210,000.
South Korea’s Paradise Co. has introduced a dual leadership structure following shareholder approval of a governance overhaul at its annual general meeting.
Paradise Co. is one of South Korea’s leading foreigner-only casino operators, running gaming venues under the Paradise brand in key locations including Seoul, Incheon, Busan, and Jeju. The company is also a partner in integrated resort Paradise City, in Incheon.
According to a regulatory filing, the company appointed Lim Jun-shin as co-chief executive officer alongside incumbent CEO Choi Jong-hwan, effective March 27th. The move establishes a co-CEO system, with Lim previously serving as Chief Operating Officer. The change was approved at the company’s 55th annual general meeting.
The filing states that the restructuring reflects the appointment of a new representative director and a transition to a joint leadership framework, with both executives expected to share management responsibilities.
In parallel, Paradise approved amendments to its articles of incorporation aimed at enhancing governance standards. Seoul Economic Daily reported that the changes focus on strengthening minority shareholder rights and board oversight. These include reinforcing voting restrictions in audit committee appointments, expanding separate elections for audit committee members, and introducing measures to support cumulative voting and electronic shareholder meetings.
Paradise said the changes align with recent revisions to Korea’s Commercial Act and are intended to enhance transparency and accountability as it advances its integrated resort business.
The governance overhaul comes as the company continues to report growth. CEO Choi Jong-hwan said during the meeting that “despite external uncertainties, revenue and operating profit increased 7.3 percent and 14.5 percent, respectively,” adding that the company had achieved record earnings for a second consecutive year.
In its annual results released last Friday, APE indicated that the 63.25 percent increase in profit was mostly due to an increase in electronic gaming equipment (EGE) sales and distribution in its primary market: Macau.
The group saw EGE business revenue reach HK$63.7 million ($8.14 million) for the year, up by 31.3 percent annually, with sales and distribution totaling HK$57 million ($7.27 million), up by 46.3 percent year-on-year, pushing the segment’s gross profit up by 42.3 percent to HK$24.1 million ($3.08 million).
Groupwide revenue was up by 29.73 percent yearly, to HK$65.84 million ($8.41 million).
During the year, the group’s consultancy and technical services division of EGE saw a 24 percent drop in revenue, totaling HK$6.7 million ($866,000), with no revenue derived from its repair services division.
During the year, the group saw a significant increase in the number of electronic gaming machine (ETG) sales, rising from four in 2024 to 34 in 2025. Electronic table game (ETG) sales rose from 176 in FY24 to 198 in FY25.
By region, Macau contributed HK$51.33 million ($6.56 million) in revenue from sales and distribution of EGE, with Sri Lanka being the second-largest contributor, at HK$2.91 million ($371,800). EGE revenue from the Philippines was HK$2.35 million ($300,000), with the group registering other EGE revenue from Taiwain, Malaysia and mainland China.
In 2025, Malaysia had previously been the second-largest geographical segment contributor to EGE sales, with HK$6.93 million ($885,000) in revenue.
Sustained growth in Macau
Following the group’s uptick in FY25, APE Chairman Allen Huie noted that “Macau is back and looking good for the foreseeable future”, furthering that “we are confident of the Group’s growth trajectory for 2026”.
This is based on resilience and expansion in the gaming industry and “sustained demand” for the group’s core EGE business.
“We expect sustained growth from Macau […] as casino customers continue to place new purchase orders for our EGEs,” noted Huie.
New distributor licenses for Abu Dhabi and Singapore
APE’s Chairman also highlighted expectations for “growth internationally beyond Macau”, indicating that the company is “currently applying for distributor licenses in Abu Dhabi and Singapore to distribute our EGE products to casinos in these markets”.
In support of the expansion, APE has secured at HK$20 million ($2.56 million) credit facility with Macau’s BNU bank.
Aside from its geographical expansion, the group aims to expand its product offerings beyond EGEs, including “products pertaining to table games or solutions for the gaming floor”.
The Chairman noted that “we intend to introduce such products prudently and increase the range of products offered by the Group,” noting that the company hopes “to discuss more about these new products in the coming year”.
Eeze, the next-generation casino supplier, has signed a comprehensive distribution agreement with EveryMatrix that will cover the leading aggregator’s global footprint.
Eeze’s complete collection of live dealer games, as well as its soon-to-be released slots portfolio, will be made available to all EveryMatrix partners, significantly boosting the reach of the supplier’s offering.
The partnership includes the full range of EveryMatrix’s active markets, with the worldwide deal being a major milestone for Eeze.
Mikko Hoglund, Partnership Manager at Eeze, said: “Partnering with EveryMatrix is an important moment for us as we look to push our games to a wider network of players than ever before. We have a lot of exciting product releases to come in the next few months, and know that these games, as well as our existing portfolio, will be well received across EveryMatrix’s customer base.”
It comes as the supplier continues to broaden its portfolio, with cutting-edge live dealer game Fusion Roulette going live in in recent months, alongside the first titles in its new slot portfolio.
Bjorn Sjoberg, Chief Commercial Officer at EveryMatrix, added: “We are very pleased to be adding Eeze’s full product suite to our aggregation offering. With best-in-class live products and an exciting array of RNG games on the roadmap, we’re confident that our customers will enjoy the differentiation these titles bring to market.”
FairPlay Sports Media (FPSM), the leading sports media and BetTech network, has announced the launch of FairPlay Customer Insights, an always-on commercial decision-making engine designed exclusively for UK betting operators.
Powered by a continuously verified panel of over 1,000 active UK bettors, the self-serve dashboard provides operators with instant, objective visibility into brand perception, product feature popularity, and competitive benchmarking.
“We consistently hear from operators that a major challenge in today’s market is a lack of fresh, objective, and actionable data on exactly why bettors switch apps,” said Jerome Underhill, Chief Operating Officer at FairPlay Sports Media.
“Traditional market research is often too slow, expensive, and disconnected from daily commercial metrics. We built FairPlay Customer Insights to be a commercial decision-making engine. It provides the speed and agility required for product teams to see how core features – such as their Bet Builder -stack up against the competition, while allowing media teams to understand the specific triggers that convert transient bonus tourists into high-intent, long-term players.”
The platform refreshes data quarterly to track movements over time and features unique ‘flash research’ capabilities. This allows operators to submit bespoke queries to the panel ahead of major tentpole events, such as the upcoming World Cup, to de-risk campaign planning.
FairPlay is currently onboarding a select group of operators for an exclusive 30-day Phase 1 Proof of Concept, providing unrestricted, company-wide access to validate the intelligence against current operational challenges.
Tom Horn Gaming has strengthened its popular Crystal Fruits line-up with the launch of Book of Crystal Fruits, a high-volatility slot that combines the familiar appeal of Book-style gameplay with the recognisable Crystal Fruits brand.
Designed for strong conversion and player retention, the new release—going live worldwide on 31 March—offers crystal‑clear wins of up to x5,555.56 the bet.
Book of Crystal Fruits invites players to step into a dazzling adventure where shimmering gems and vibrant fruits come together in a classic Book-style experience. The Book symbol serves as both Wild and Scatter, unlocking Free Spins and expanding symbol features that can fill the reels with rewarding combinations.
Built around a straightforward 5×3 layout with nine paylines, Book of Crystal Fruits delivers a clear and familiar gameplay loop with free spins and a randomly selected Special Expanding symbol at the beginning of the bonus round that appeals to fans of traditional Book mechanics while offering a fresh twist through the established Crystal Fruits theme.
“Book of Crystal Fruits brings together one of the industry’s most recognisable mechanics with one of our strongest-performing game series,” said Ondrej Lapides, CEO at Tom Horn Gaming. “The familiar gameplay and distinctive Crystal Fruits identity make it a natural addition to the portfolio and a strong performer across key markets.”
The combination of simple mechanics and high-volatility gameplay creates an experience designed to keep players engaged as they pursue larger rewards. The recognisable Crystal Fruits branding helps reduce player onboarding friction while supporting acquisition and cross-sell opportunities within the wider series.
SOFTSWISS, in partnership with Pentasia, hosted its first Live Panel titled Stop Losing Talent: 7 Smart Steps for Hiring in 2026. The session highlighted how outdated hiring practices are costing companies top talent and introduced a practical seven‑step framework to address these challenges.
The discussion brought together insights from across the industry, with the speaker panel including senior executives:
Hiring Pain Points in 2026: Employer vs Candidate Reality
During the session, experts broke down where the hiring process is failing on both sides. On the employer side, the pressure is coming from three directions:
Competition for senior talent is intensifying across the market
Slow internal decision-making is stretching hiring cycles
Finding candidates with both technical and regulatory expertise remains a persistent challenge
At the same time, candidates encounter unclear roles, limited feedback, and little visibility into where they stand, which weakens engagement from the outset and affects long-term retention.
Natalia Perkowska, Deputy Chief HR Officer at SOFTSWISS, highlighted that the disconnection between employer expectations and candidate experience is not a single issue – it is a system-level problem. Gaps at each stage of the hiring process accumulate and shape how candidates perceive the company, and when these gaps are not addressed, they directly impact both hiring outcomes and long-term retention, making it harder for businesses to compete for high-quality talent.
Ideal Seven-Step Framework
The session walked through the full hiring journey and pinpointed where companies are losing talent, building out a practical seven-step framework for 2026.
Step 1. Pre-Hiring: Define the problem, not the role
Step 2. Sourcing: Think globally, not locally
Step 3. Screening: Hire for context, not just skills
Step 4. Decision and Offer: Speed reflects maturity
Step 5. Onboarding: Good Starts Drive Strong Returns
Step 6. Retention: Upskilling Is What Makes People Stay
Alastair Cleland, Managing Director at Pentasia, underscored that talent loss does not occur at a single point but across the entire hiring system. From role definition to onboarding and retention, gaps accumulate and directly affect outcomes. He noted that the depth of discussion during the nearly two‑hour session reflects how significantly hiring now influences business performance in 2026.
The full session is available via this link, featuring a detailed walkthrough of the seven-step framework, with Dos and Don’ts at each stage discussed by industry experts.
Online casino brand WinSpirit has been awarded Best Online Casino in CEE at the GamingTECH CEE Awards 2026, a distinguished industry ceremony honoring outstanding performance across the iGaming landscape.
Since launching in mid-2022, WinSpirit has rapidly gained recognition for its dynamic approach to product development, creative marketing, and a genuine player-first philosophy. The brand stands out by successfully combining innovative features, high-quality entertainment, and strong focus on player experience.
Over the past year, the online gaming brand has demonstrated impressive growth across key metrics, significantly expanding its loyal player base, VIP segment, and overall betting activity. The brand has also introduced unique interactive formats, enhanced its loyalty system with the real-time Gift Shop, and continued to invest in smart personalisation across the platform.
This award adds to WinSpirit’s growing list of international recognitions. The brand also maintains excellent player ratings across major review platforms, consistently receiving high marks for service quality and user experience.
This recognition underscores the company’s solidification of its reputation as one of the most dynamic and player-oriented online casinos in the industry — combining rapid growth with innovation and a clear focus on player satisfaction.
The payment technologies provider JCM Global and CasinoSoft, now part of Pavilion Payments, have announced a new technology partnership integrating CasinoSoft’s jackpot‑processing and W‑2G tax‑form solutions with JCM’s award‑winning FUZION® technology.
The integration enhances casino operations by enabling jackpot payouts via TITO tickets while seamlessly supporting W-2G tax form processing at the point of play. By combining CasinoSoft’s established compliance and jackpot solutions with JCM’s secure FUZION infrastructure, casino operators can improve speed, accuracy, and overall service during jackpot events.
The integration is another fulfillment of JCM’s product objectives for FUZION, delivering added value and increased functionality to the technology by integrating third-party software and solutions that benefit JCM’s FUZION customers and their guests.
This particular integration will enhance the player experience by enabling players to quickly receive their jackpot payout through a TITO ticket, speeding slot personnel responses for jackpot events. The powerful FUZION system provides the secure infrastructure for CasinoSoft’s application to securely initiate the printing on slot machines with the FUZION system and GEN5 printer.
“FUZION was built to enable innovation through secure connectivity and controlled access across the casino floor,” said Dave Kubajak, SVP of Sales, Marketing, and Operations at JCM Global. “CasinoSoft’s decision to integrate demonstrates how third-party software providers can leverage our network system to support convenient, on demand printing use cases at the slot machine.”
Diallo Gordon, CEO of Pavilion Payments, added, “CasinoSoft has been a trusted provider of compliance and jackpot processing solutions across the gaming industry. As part of Pavilion, we are focused on extending these capabilities through strategic integrations like JCM’s FUZION technology – advancing a more connected, intelligent platform that simplifies operations, strengthens compliance, and scales with the evolving needs of casino operators.”
Matt Montano, Senior Vice President of Innovations at Pavilion Payments, highlighted that CasinoSoft is designed to handle the complexity of jackpot processing and compliance in high‑volume casino environments. He added that extending those capabilities through JCM’s FUZION technology enables operators to execute critical workflows instantly at the machine, improving accuracy, reducing delays, and minimizing operational lift.
JCM’s award-winning FUZION technology was built with a double-encrypted data superhighway that connects the slot, its iVIZION bill validator, and its GEN5 thermal printer to the casino’s backend. FUZION offers dozens of groundbreaking benefits for casinos, including real-time peripheral performance data; proactive alerts for drops, e-drops, and fills; real-time asset monitoring and tracking; and dispute resolution with high-resolution banknote/TITO images.
Good morning. Facial recognition. It’s used everywhere, but whether that’s good or bad depends on how its data is applied. In New South Wales, the government is aiming to leverage FRT to improve the effectiveness of gambling self-exclusion registers. But this also significantly increases operators’ responsibilities, while also raising concerns over data privacy. Looking to Macau, former satellite casino operator Paradise Entertainment is still paying out a dividend for FY25, while searching frantically overseas for new revenue streams. Shifting to Korea, Grand Korea Leisure is targeting some $340 million in casino sales by the end of the decade, hoping international players will continue to flood in.
Australia’s New South Wales government is aiming to improve the effectiveness of gambling self-exclusion registers through facial recognition technology by introducing a new code for hotels and clubs. The requirements, though not legislated, significantly increase operators’ responsibilities. But they also aim to assuage concerns about data privacy, with strict mandates on the use of, and access to, data – upping the effectiveness of gambling harm prevention.
