The Philippines’ gaming industry enjoyed double-digit growth in 2017, thanks to gains in every sector except retail eGaming venues.

This week, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) released its Q4/FY 2017 official figures, the first such update since the release of the Q2 2017 figures last October, which was itself the first time in nearly a year that PAGCOR had deigned to update the public on its accounting.

Total gaming revenue in 2017 improved 11.6% year-on-year to P176.5b (US$3.37b), of which the land-based casino sector accounted for P152.5b (+13.8%). The nascent Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators segment contributed P3.13b last year, a figure PAGCOR recently forecast would double in 2018.

The Philippines’ casino industry is divided into two segments: those venues directly under PAGCOR’s control (although these are slated for imminent privatization) and those operated by third parties under a PAGCOR license.

More Singapore residents participated in gambling in 2017, but the increase didn’t result in a corresponding rise in the number of the city-state’s problem gamblers.

This week, Singapore’s National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) released the results of its latest survey, which found that “Singapore’s probable pathological and problem gambling rates have remained stable” since the first survey was taken in 2005.

The NCPG says 52% of Singaporeans engaged in at least one form of gambling activity in 2017, up from 44% in the last survey in 2014. However, 2017’s figure is still below the 58% and 54% reported in the 2005 and 2008 surveys, respectively, prompting the NCPG to declare the rate to be “relatively stable over the last 12 years.”

It’s worth noting that this relative stability was achieved despite Singapore welcoming its first two integrated resort casinos in 2010, as well as the official launch of regulated online gambling at the Singapore Pools and Singapore Turf sports- and race-betting monopolies in 2016.

Net profit of Philippine-listed casino operator Travellers International Hotel Group Inc. (TIGHI) has plunged 92% in 2017 as the shadow of the deadly Resorts World Manila (RWM) attack lingers.

In a regulatory filing, TIGHI announced that its net profit fell sharply to PHP241.7 million ($4.61 million) last year, compared to nearly PHP3.40 billion ($64.84 million) in 2016.

Its adjusted earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) slid by nearly 50 percent to PHP3.46 billion ($65.98 million) last year from PHP6.42 billion ($122.43 million) in 2016, while net debt grew two folds to PHP20.89 billion ($398.37 million) in 2017.

TIGHI attributed the decline to “the June 2, 2017 incident that led to the closure of the gaming area for 27 days and portions of the non-gaming segment.”

Excluding oneself from the services of Irish bookmaker Paddy Power Betfair is now as easy as clicking a button.

Paddy Power has scrapped its current paper-based self-exclusion system as it implemented a new electronic system for problem gamblers. Players who wanted to exclude themselves from gambling may now be able to do so using the bookmaker’s in-shop app, hosted on an Android or iOS tablet, according to the company.

The firm noted that the new app-based self-exclusion system was developed by Responsible Gambling Consultancy, a risk management solutions provider established in 2016, and passed the standards of the European Union‘s General Data Protection Regulations.

“We believe that this new process will make self-exclusion easier and quicker for our customers and hope that other retail betting-operators join us in providing this service,” Paddy Power managing director of retail David Newton said in a statement.

Despite facing strong headwinds in 2017, Macau-based casino equipment maker Paradise Entertainment Ltd. has managed to slash its losses by as much as 92 percent.

In a disclosure to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on Monday, Paradise announced that its losses drastically dropped to HKD30.7 million ($3.8 million) last year, compared to nearly HKD380.4 million ($47.07 million) in 2016.

The 2016 losses of Paradise included the writing down of nearly HKD334.8-million ($41.43 million) as a result of the one-off non-cash loss arising from assignment of intangible assets concerning the patents and associated technology to International Game Technology Plc (IGT).

Paradise said that it started to recognize the royalty income from the IGT deal last year, contributing some HKD2.9 million revenue to their coffers.

The former Swedish international, Zlatan Ibrahimovic joins Bethard as a brand ambassador and co-owner a week after leaving Manchester United because his genius was unable to flourish. 

Bethard?

It sounds like a joke, right?

It’s not.

The timing of Galaxy Entertainment’s surprise move to acquire a 4.9% stake in Wynn Resorts suggests that Galaxy has been waiting in the wings for an opportunity to make this kind of move for a while. The two casinos are similar in their structure, style, balance, stock price movements, and are both particularly dependent on the VIP market. They are both pretty glitzy places as Macau casinos go, known for attention to detail and customer service. The only glaring difference is that one is Chinese and the other is American.

When Steve Wynn was at the helm, it would have been quite difficult for Galaxy to make a move to acquire any appreciable stake in the company. Wynn would have probably personally objected, not wanting to make it look like he was allowing “the Chinese” to “invade” another sacred space of “American capital”. Wynn was a big Trump supporter during the campaign, and Trump being the American exceptionalist Sinophobe that he is, he would not have been happy with Wynn allowing such a thing. Though Wynn is not as flamboyant as Trump in blasting a funeral dirge every time a Chinese firm acquires something American, he would have probably also been rather uncomfortable with it and would not have wanted that kind of publicity.

Well, now that we have all heard more about Steve Wynn’s alleged sorry sex life than any of us ever wanted, his opinion and Trump’s are no longer relevant. Galaxy waited for him to liquidate his stake, which he was pressured into, and then they made their move.

Wynn did not sell any of his shares to Galaxy, at least not directly. 8 million were sold to Capital Research and Management, and T. Rowe Price. Another 4.1 million were sold on the open market. The 5.3 million shares that Galaxy acquired were newly issued for a total $927 million. That’s a lot of money to use up for a casino that is actively expanding in Cotai. It’s about 40% of its cash holdings as of 2017. It may have been more if not for pesky reporting requirements above a 5% threshold. The Nevada Gaming Control Board is still examining the transaction anyway, but that’s just because they feel like it. They’re probably really bored over there.

Daily fantasy sports (DFS) in India has enjoyed a rise in popularity over the past couple of years, due in no small part to it being classified as gambling. Lawmakers have said that DFS requires a great deal of skill—not just chance—and, as such, don’t fall under the category of gambling. Now, popular online poker site PokerBaazi is looking to expand its offerings by launching a DFS site called BalleBaazi.

The DFS portal launched at the beginning of the year and is operated by SBN Gaming Network Pvt. Ltd., GLaws.in reported. Despite being a part of PokerBaazi, BalleBaazi operates as an autonomous unit, with only limited oversight by PokerBaazi, which recently acquired a majority stake in the new site. The portal includes some of the standard DFS options, as well as micro fantasy formats and fantasy games that are specific to cricket and bowling.

PokerBaazi CEO Navkiran Singh said the investment is part of the company’s plans “to expand and grow online gaming in India as a whole.”

“Fantasy cricket has a huge scope in a cricket crazy country like India. Seeing a huge market potential and a very passionate and driven team of BalleBaazi, we decided this is the right time to get into fantasy sports. The synergy between our teams will certainly help us propel BalleBaazi to the top,” Singh said in a statement.

To our gambling friends in the land down under, my condolences. It would appear that the government is taking a stricter stance against gambling. Gambling taxes have gone up, advertising has been clamped down and many gambling options have been removed. And, to add insult to injury, betting on foreign, as well as domestic, lotteries is no longer an option.

The Interactive Gambling Act (IGA) Amendment (Lottery Betting) Bill 2018 was designed to clarify parts of the gambling act that was first introduced in 2001. Through the amendment, legislators have now scratched off lotteries from the ever-shrinking list of viable gaming alternatives. Several bookmakers had previously offered gamblers the ability to place wagers on the outcome of lotteries in the country, as well as outside its borders, but that ability is now dead.

In a statement to The Australian, Communications Minister Mitch Fifield said the new legislation will ban betting on Keno lottery, noting that allowing “fake lottery” has undermined “the long-standing community acceptance of official lottery and keno products.”

Under the bill, gambling operators like Gibraltar-based Lottoland will be prohibited from offering “placing, making, receiving or acceptance of bets” on the outcome of “Australian and overseas lottery draws.” The amendments are expected to take effect six months after it passes through the parliament.