The gaming industry in the Philippines is “doing well,” at least in the eyes of casino operators.

The local casino industry has been beset with challenges, particularly with the Chinese government’s crackdown on illegal gambling that has affected gaming revenues in the entire region. Still, casino operators in the Philippines are bullish on their prospects for the remainder of the year.

In an interview with Philippine Star, City of Dreams Manila COO Kevin Sim said they are “confident” that the newly-opened casino resort will “expand across all segments.”

“Despite being open only a few months, City of Dreams leads the Philippine market in visitation rates,” Sim said, according to the report.

Global Poker Index CEO Alexandre Dreyfus speaks to Lee Davy about why he would like to see Heads Up Displays removed from Twitch streams before the scare away the recreational players.

I don’t play a lot of online poker tournaments. I don’t have time. Online cash games…now that’s a different kettle of fish, however, I don’t play them either because a lot of my opponents have their computer screens decked out like a SpaceX launch controllers.

Heads-Up Displays (HUDs) offer a huge edge to those who part with the cash. They have become such an integral part of our game that there are coaches who teach online poker strategy by the numbers. I hired one back in the day, and that knowledge earned me a decent chunk of change, so I know first-hand the benefit they can bring.

The problem with HUDs is whilst someone is benefiting, there is someone else who isn’t. The people on the sharp end of the stick are generally the recreational players. Online poker rooms are moving towards a recreational player model en masse. They don’t want these people beaten with that stick.

China’s Yue Feng Pan has won the Macau Poker Cup Red Dragon after beating his fellow countryman Shao Po Liu in heads-up action.

[Image Credit: PokerNews]

The Macau Poker Cup 23 (MPC23) Red Dragon trophy is once again heading for the Chinese mainland, after Yue Feng Pan defeated Shao Po Liu, in heads-up action, making it the eighth time someone from China has won this event (eight of the final nine players were Chinese).

MPC23 is currently being held at the PokerStars LIVE at the City of Dreams. There are still a few events to be played out, but it is already the most attended MPC in history with 4,105 players entering a barrage of events.

The 2015 Norwegian Championships will be held in Norway for the first time, after Amaya Gaming subsidiary Global Poker Tours Ltd declared their intent to host a series of events in the coming months.

Norwegian poker is coming home.

That’s the revelation greeting Norwegian based poker players after Amaya Inc. subsidiary, Global Poker Tours Ltd, announced plans to host the first legal live poker series in the Scandinavian country.

It’s great news for Norwegian based poker players who, for the past 13-years, have had to travel as far and wide as Ireland, England and Latvia to play in their home based Championship event thanks to archaic gaming laws.