Good morning.
In our weekly video interview series Face To Face, CTR vice president of Sales Michael Keen speaks with Asia Gaming Brief managing editor Sharon Singleton about the state of gaming industry supply chains in the wake of a battering by both the Covid-19 pandemic and US-China trade tensions. The big news in India is that the wildly-popular PUBG has had its ban lifted after two months, returning the powerhouse game back to the local esports scene. Close to home, Wynn Macau slims overseas management contracts. Don’t miss our weekly wrap-up TGIF with its discussion of the potential impact of the US presidential election and vaccine news on the Asian gaming industry.
First, the news
- Wynn not renewing some middle-to-senior management contracts
- PUBG back in the India game
- Universal Entertainment records January-September 17.5% revenue decline
- Oshidori returns to profitability
- Mohegan injects US$200 million to restart Incheon IR construction
- Zouk to open in Resorts World Las Vegas
- Jumbo to provide online software platform for Western Australia lottery
- AGE exhibition venue approved for holding events
- Covid forces suspension of operations at some Melco casinos in Cyprus
- Rummy association backs Tamil Nadu regulation, warns against restrictions
What you need to know
PUBG back in the India game
Just two months after being banned from the Indian market PUBG has managed to find a solution to get its feet back into the country’s booming eSports industry. PUBG, or PlayersUnknown Battlegrounds, was the most successful of the eSports games in India with about 50 million active daily players in 2019. However, in September, the government banned it, along with more than 100 other apps with ties to China on security and privacy concerns. Now, it’s coming back.
Universal Entertainment records January-September 17.5% revenue decline
Universal Entertainment has recorded JPY77.1 billion (US$732 million) in revenues for the January-September nine-month period, a figure which was down 17.5 percent on a year-on-year basis. The net loss attributable to owners of the parent company came to JPY6.8 billion. The company actually did quite well in its pachinko and pachislot machines business, which contributed JPY55.6 billion in revenues, a 31 percent increase. It’s operating profit was JPY22 billion, a 116 percent year-on-year jump.
Insights
FACE TO FACE:
CTR’s Michael Keen: Trade wars, supply chains and trends
CTR vice president of sales Michael Keen speaks with Asia Gaming Brief managing editor Sharon Singleton about the glitches in the global supply chains following Covid and the latest buying trends from operators and suppliers. He also talks about the impact of U.S./China trade tensions.
TGIF:
Politics and Pfizer hold mixed prospects for Asia gaming
It’s been quite a week on the news front, with some major developments that all have potential ramifications for the gambling industry in Asia. We’ll start with the U.S. Presidential elections. It now looks clear that Joe Biden will be confirmed as the 46th leader of the United States, though hopes for a quick improvement in Sino-U.S. relations may be overly optimistic for a number of reasons, not least the deteriorating situation in Hong Kong. On a brighter note, though, news of Pfizer’s potential Covid-19 vaccine sent gaming stocks soaring on the hope of light at the end of the tunnel.
Supplier Special
APE: Local partner and professional services
Asia Pioneer Entertainment Holdings is a total solutions provider for Electronic Gaming Equipment for land-based casinos in the Macau and other regions in Asia. It has been highly recognized as a market leader for its intelligent products and professional services.
Betradar: Virtually real sporting solutions
Like many other betting products, when it comes to investing in gaming solutions, operators need to ensure they are of a high-quality and completely flexible if they want to leverage the prospects that virtual sports can offer. Betradar offers a large selection of virtual sports and In-Play solutions, available 24/7 and customizable to all needs.
AGB Initiatives
MEMBERSHIP | MAGAZINE | ASEAN | CAREERS
