Monthly Archives: October 2016

iPhone Users Spending 241% More on Handsets since 2007

LeoVegas tests out wireless headphones with Manchester silent disco

With the new iPhone 7 taking over from its predecessor as the priciest version of the handset to date, mobile casino LeoVegas carried out a study to find out just how much Brits are spending on the latest tech.

According to the research, it would have cost a staggering £6070 to buy the highest-spec handset each time an updated version of the iPhone was released, however, back in 2007 when the iPhone was first introduced, the 8GB device would have set you back just £269. Looking at today’s figures, that’s 241% less than the recently announced iPhone 7 Plus, coming in at £919.

So why do we spend so much to have the latest technology? The study revealed that one in five of us feel social pressure from our peers to have the hottest tech at our fingertips, with three quarters (74%) of those surveyed admitting to starting a new mobile phone contract before the end of their current deal. However, 40% claimed that they buy the latest tech simply because they have a genuine interest in new smartphones and gadgets.

Sanum Investments wins casino court fight with Laos government

Macau-based casino operator Sanum Investments has won its legal case against the government of Laos for what it claimed was the unjust cancellation of its casino business.

This week, the Straits Times reported that the Appeal Court in Singapore ruled that Macau was subject to a bilateral investment treaty (BIT) signed by China and Laos in 1993, and thus Sanum has the right to seek redress under the BIT for capital investment benefit losses.

If you’re just joining us, Sanum used to operate the Savan Vegas Hotel & Entertainment Complex (pictured) in Savannakhet province along Laos’ border with Cambodia. In 2012, the Laotian government seized the property, claiming that Sanum owed $23m in back taxes and penalties. Sanum lost control of the Thanaleng Slot Machine Club near Laos’ capital Vientiane under similar circumstances.

The Laotian government eventually sold Savan Vegas to Macau Legend Development for $42m earlier this year. But Sanum has continued to pursue its legal fight with the Laotian government, and an independent arbitration panel in Singapore ruled that it had jurisdiction over the matter.

Neptune Group junket halts share trading after missing annual report deadline

Macau casino junket investor Neptune Group has suspended trading of its shares after delaying the issuing of its 2015-16 annual results.

On Monday, the Neptune Group filed papers with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKSE) alerting investors to the fact that the company had failed to publicize its 2015-16 annual results by the stipulated Sept. 30 deadline.

The company further declared that the delivery to shareholders of its 2015-16 annual report could also be delayed. Neptune said it was “still in the progress of providing all necessary information requested by the auditors of the Company to complete the auditing procedures.” Neptune said it would use “its best endeavors” to publish the annual results “as soon as possible.”

In cases where companies are unable to publish official results, HKSE rules require listed firms to publish unaudited consolidated management accounts, as far as the info is available.

Chinese cops give evil eye to poker players’ infrared contact lens scam

Four Chinese scammers are under arrest after their plot to fleece a poker-playing pigeon was rumbled.

On Sept. 23, a small business owner named Feng contacted police based on his suspicions that he’d been the victim of con men posing as fellow poker players. Feng claimed to have been drugged by the men before engaging in a marathon poker session in a hotel room in Dali, Yunnan province.

Police subsequently raided the hotel room, detaining the four suspects along with the tools of their trade: 30 packs of marked cards and a pair of specially designed contact lenses that allowed their wearer to identify the value of the cards via their markings on the back.

According to local media outlet Yunnan.cn, the suspects admitted their guilt, explaining that the individual who wore the contact lenses would use hand signals to tip off his three co-conspirators as to what cards Feng was holding.

Imperial Pacific’s temporary casino sets new record for VIP gambling turnover

Casino operator Imperial Pacific International Holdings has set a new record for VIP turnover at its temporary casino on the island of Saipan.

In a statement released to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange this week, Imperial Pacific announced that the temporary casino operated by its Best Sunshine International subsidiary had enjoyed VIP turnover totaling $3.95b in the month of September.

The company offered no details on what may have caused the surge, which represented a 153% rise over August’s $1.56b, the second lowest VIP turnover total recorded since the temporary casino opened last October. September’s total also smashed the property’s previous high-water mark of $3.2b in April.

Imperial Pacific’s permanent Saipan venue, the Imperial Pacific Resort, is scheduled to open in early 2017. On Monday, Imperial Pacific CEO Mark Brown offered government representatives of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) an update on the permanent casino’s progress.