The 2nd day of the ASEAN Gaming Summit 2024 was full of surprises with the winners of this year’s Asia Gaming Awards unveiled, and a crowded series of panels with experts covering gaming markets as diverse as Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia, Japan, the UAE, and even the Pacific Islands.
Starting from the end, the winners of the 2024 Asia Gaming Awards were finally revealed, putting a nice ribbon on the main section of this year’s Summit.
At the Summit, the day started with the CEO of the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA), Katrina Ponce Enrile, stating that the area “never had any” problems or criminal issues connected to online gaming operators and asking for less “red tape” in the sector.
Shortly after, the CEO of the Grand Ho Tram Resort, Walter Power, commented that he does not see the possible gaming market opening in Thailand impacting Vietnam, while sharing his tips for managing an integrated resort successfully.
Daniel Li, a senior consultant at the Commercial Gambling Management Commission of Cambodia (CGMCC), also warned that the accelerating move by the Thai government to legalize casinos is forcing Cambodian gaming operator Naga Corp to ‘redefine’ its strategy.
Keeping on the Thai focus Paul Bromberg, from Spectrum Gaming Group, urged the country’s authorities to learn from the Japanese government’s mistakes and thoroughly communicate to the public the advantages IRs could bring.
Meanwhile, industry veteran Daniel Cheng highlighted that Thailand’s possible 17 percent gaming revenue tax, included in a recently revealed draft bill, would be “very attractive” for investors if realized.
Earlier in the day, two panels delved into the topic of Remote Online Slots from different angles, investigating remote gaming opportunities and ways in which operators can deliver a land-based experience to online players.
In a later panel, Will Lee – director of table gaming at Mohegan INSPIRE Entertainment Resort – commented that the group’s integrated resort (IR) inaugurated in November 2023 has already become a “landmark” in Korea, thanks to its non-gaming offerings.
