Philippine firm Calata Corp. is optimistic it will secure a gaming license from state regulator Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) to build the $1.4 billion Mactan Leisure City casino plan.

Calata announced last week that it had forged an alliance with U.S.-based Sino American Gaming and Macau Resources f or a 14-hectare casino resort on Mactan Island in Cebu, which will feature three hotels, a casino and entertainment complex, commercial, retail and conference facilities as well as a yacht club.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, Calata said the three parties are planning to form a corporation by September.

“Thereafter, the parties will pursue the corporation’s transformation into a REIT (real estate and investment trust) and execute such plan at the soonest practicable time,” the listed company said.

Philippine firm Calata Corp. is optimistic it will secure a gaming license from state regulator Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) to build the $1.4 billion Mactan Leisure City casino plan.

Calata announced last week that it had forged an alliance with U.S.-based Sino American Gaming and Macau Resources f or a 14-hectare casino resort on Mactan Island in Cebu, which will feature three hotels, a casino and entertainment complex, commercial, retail and conference facilities as well as a yacht club.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, Calata said the three parties are planning to form a corporation by September.

“Thereafter, the parties will pursue the corporation’s transformation into a REIT (real estate and investment trust) and execute such plan at the soonest practicable time,” the listed company said.

The wait will soon be over for Taiwan’s next attraction—a casino.

On October 15, residents in the country’s outlying island of Penghu will have to decide on whether they will allow casinos in their hometown, Taiwanese media reported. Results of the referendum will be announced before October 22, according to Chinese-language Taiwanese news outlets.

This will be the second time that Penghu residents is asked to vote on the casino issue. The country held its first referendum on gaming in September 2009, after the government lifted the prohibition on gambling on the islands of Kinmen, Matsu and Penghu. However, a total of 17,369 votes or about 56.44 percent of the total valid ballots were cast against a plan to build a casino on Penghu Island.

The country’s Referendum Act forbids groups to raise the same proposal within three years after it was thrown out.

In case you need more proof that Russia is becoming a softy towards digital currency, Russian Finance Minister Alexei Moiseev himself has already acknowledged that imposing a blanket ban on cryptocurrency in the country is unlikely.

For years, authorities in Russia—the finance ministry, in particular—have been adamantly pushing to outlaw the use and trade of bitcoin in the country. But several weeks ago, reports surfaced that Russian officials are now seeking to abandon the idea of punishing people caught involved in bitcoin operations in the country.

Then last week, Moiseev told reporters in Russia that the legislation they are working on has a high possibility of being altered.

“The legislation is ready, but we will not rush it through and it is likely to be altered. I now want to hold meetings with experts and once again consider our options. Given the development of technology, any blanket ban is probably not worth implementing,” Moiseev said, according to Sputnik News.

James Packer has given up the majority control over Crown Resorts to pay for the debt the casino mogul incurred after settling with his sister.

Packer’s privately held investment arm, Consolidated Press Holdings Ltd. (CPH), announced over the weekend that the billionaire has agreed to sell 35 million shares—representing about 4.8 percent of Crown’s issued share capital—at AUD12.80 apiece for a total of AUD448 million (USD338.29 million).

The businessman, who stepped down from his chairman post at Crown Resorts last year, holds 53 percent of the USD6.5 billion Australian company. Despite the sale, CPH will remain the largest shareholder of Crown Resorts—albeit with a slightly lower 48.2 percent stake.

Sources familiar with the matter told the Australian Financial Review that Packer’s decision to cash out a portion of his shares came after the businessman’s settlement with sister Gretel.

Manchester City, Manchester United, and Chelsea are the only three teams to end Week 3 with 100% records intact after wins against West Ham, Hull, and Burnley respectively.

A young man named Raheem continued to rebuild a reputation shattered by inept displays at the European Championships with another Sterling performance, this time at home to West Ham.

The English Premier League (EPL) favourites, Manchester City, have now taken maximum points from their first three games after a 3-1 win at The Etihad, which went from comfortable to jittery, to comfortable again.

The much-maligned Sterling opened the scoring after just seven minutes. The Spanish forward Nolito putting the ball on the plate for the former Liverpool star and he didn’t waste the opportunity. City dominated play from that point onward, and when Fernandinho headed City’s second goal in the 18th minute, it looked like the floodgates would open.

Billionaire investor, David Einhorn, has bought 3.8 million Amaya Gaming Inc. shares, and Dara O’Kearney writes a blog post about the same company that gives me the impression that he won’t be.

The decision by Guy Laliberte to bar professional poker players from competing in the 2016 Big One for ONE DROP creates conflicting emotions. On one hand, it’s difficult to call it a poker tournament if no professional poker players are competing, and then, on the contrary, you have the David Einhorn effect.

Einhorn took the term ‘Robin Hood of Poker‘ to a whole new level, when in 2006 & 2012, he donated his $659,730 18th place finish in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event and his $4.35m ONE DROP purse to charity.

Somehow, I can’t see a professional poker player giving that much money to people in need, and it’s for that reason that the ONE DROP changes get my vote. This particular tournament transcends poker, a point we need to remember.