The Macau gaming industry will face a slow but steady increase in both visitation and gross gaming revenues as it transitions to more of a destination market, catering to visitors to Macau primarily consisting of the mass and premium mass markets segments.
Government-imposed restrictions on travel for Chinese nationals will create repercussions throughout Asian gaming, including severely restricting the ability of junket operators outside Macau to function.
The New South Wales Gaming & Liquor Authority Crown Inquiry has raised serious and pervasive concerns relating to anti-money-laundering, casino due diligence, junket controls, corporate governance and overall casino compliance related to the Crown casinos in Melbourne and Perth, which will result an enhanced emphasis on casino compliance and AML issues throughout Australia and Asia and more robust governmental regulation of VIP play.
Efforts to authorize integrated resorts in Japan will continue, even as Japan is dealing with a change of government and a global pandemic. The government is expected to take affirmative efforts to advance the complex process surrounding the issuance of IR licenses; if it does not, it will risk further delays and the loss of interest in Japan by many of the major gaming companies.
*Fred Gushin – Spectrum Gaming Group
