Good morning.
Crown Resorts is getting the maximum fine possible under the Casino Control Act for its lapses over junket operations at its Crown Melbourne property. Victorian gaming regulator Ross Kennedy said this was the first time Crown has been fined the maximum available fine, reflecting the seriousness of the matter. Meanwhile, Landing International says it is still looking for suitable land to build an integrated resort in the Philippines, after having its $1.5 billion theme park and resort development shut down by President Duterte back in 2018. In Japan, there is unease in the anti-casino political ranks. We also turn our attention to Alderney’s Susan O’Leary, who reflects on the last 12 months of turbulence in the online Asian gaming industry.
First, the news
- Crown Resorts gets maximum A$1m fine over junket lapses
- Entain offer for Tabcorp assets still too low, demerger likely: J.P. Morgan
- Landing still trying for land lease in Philippines
- Goa casinos ask for license fee waiver
- Crown gets further extension of Sydney liquor license
- Philweb swings back to profit in 21Q1
- Delta Corp reports 3.2M net loss
- Call for closure of Goa offshore casino “superspreaders”
- Poipet casinos closed until further notice
- Evolution Gaming 21Q1 growth boosted by Asia, NA
What you need to know
Landing still trying for land lease in Philippines
Landing International Development is still working to identify another lease of land in order to develop an integrated resort in the Philippines. In 2018, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte fired the entire board of Landing International’s local partner Nayong Pilipino Foundation (NPF) just as the two parties broke ground on a $1.5 billion theme park in Paranaque City. Duterte and his spokesman Harry Roque claimed that the 75-year lease deal was “grossly disadvantageous” to the state.
Crown Resorts gets maximum A$1m fine over junket lapses
Crown Resorts has received the maximum fine possible under the Casino Control Act for its lax control over junket operations at its flagship Crown Melbourne property. The operator was fined A$1 million by the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation (VCGLR). Chairman Ross Kennedy said the fine reflects the seriousness of this matter, and the fact that Crown’s failure to implement a robust process occurred over an extended period.
Yokohama anti-casino forces struggle to select unity candidate
The possibility that the Yokohama opposition will fail to agree on a viable anti-casino mayoral candidate is growing as the target date for making a decision continues to slip. Mayor Fumiko Hayashi’s unwillingness to hold a popular referendum on IR development enraged much of the local public, but it also put the political ball in the court of the fractious opposition parties, which may or may not prove up to the challenge of presenting a united front to voters.
Insights
INDUSTRY VIEWS: SUSAN O’LEARY
Alderney: An online safe harbour amid the turbulence in the Asian gaming industry
Alderney eGambling CEO Susan O’Leary writes that over the past 12 months the regulator has witnessed a radical shift in Asia’s gaming landscape, highlighting instability across the market. Covid has been just one contributing factor, adding to the existing regulatory inconsistencies across the region, uncertainty in the Philippines and now pressure from Beijing, leaving the gaming industry in a precarious position. In times of such uncertainty and change, many businesses have taken the opportunity to look for a new or additional base providing much needed stability, with a strong, respected regulator.
Industry Updates
- SG gets employment accolade in Greece
- 105 Mongolian IPI workers to repatriate on May
- Habanero rolls back the years with Return to the Feature
- SCL holds responsible gaming session for team
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