The future of Japan, Macau and Korea looks to be very different. That’s a clear lesson from the Day 2 ASEAN Gaming Summit 2019 panel talk from four expert analysts of the Asia gambling industry, although they didn’t always agree on the specific details.

The panel was moderated by Alidad Tash, managing director of 2NT8. Invited to debate were Vitaly Umansky from Bernstein, Angel Sueiro from Morgan Stanley and Anil Sadwani from Citigroup. The discussion was focused on the upcoming futures for the three key regions in the Asian gambling business.

Japan’s integrated resort future

Discussion began with Japan, which has the exciting prospect of its three new Integrated Resort (IR) licenses. Due to strict restrictions against some kind of junket operation, the experts all agreed that Japan will not be able to rely on Chinese VIPs like Macau has. Instead, it will need to focus its resorts on building mass market tourism.

MGM Resorts has scored another sports partner. After making sponsorship deals with virtually all major sports leagues, the casino giant has now struck another partnership, this time with Major League Soccer (MLS).

The new multi-year partnership will be led by Roar Digital LLC, a joint venture that was created by MGM and GVC Holdings. That venture will be the exclusive sports gambling partner for MLS and will see MGM work with MLS to offer world-class soccer matches and other fan-centric activities. MGM, as well as Roar, will have access to MLS team and league data that it can use for gamblers and soccer fans.

In a statement by MLS, the league explained, “The landmark deal provides MGM Resorts and Roar access to enhanced MLS data for fans and sports betting customers and includes television-visible signage for all 100-plus nationally-broadcast MLS games and unique MLS-themed promotions and sweepstakes. The groups will also work together to develop an exclusive “Free to Play” game for fans.”

MLS Commissioner Don Garber added, “Major League Soccer is proud to partner with MGM Resorts to bring existing and new fans close to our sport in innovative and immersive ways. MGM Resorts is a leader in sports betting, and they recognize the progress of our league and the growth of the sport in the United States and Canada. Together, we will deliver cutting-edge data and analytics to MLS fans, and fan engagement will be the driving force behind every initiative in our partnership.”

MGM Resorts has scored another sports partner. After making sponsorship deals with virtually all major sports leagues, the casino giant has now struck another partnership, this time with Major League Soccer (MLS).

The new multi-year partnership will be led by Roar Digital LLC, a joint venture that was created by MGM and GVC Holdings. That venture will be the exclusive sports gambling partner for MLS and will see MGM work with MLS to offer world-class soccer matches and other fan-centric activities. MGM, as well as Roar, will have access to MLS team and league data that it can use for gamblers and soccer fans.

In a statement by MLS, the league explained, “The landmark deal provides MGM Resorts and Roar access to enhanced MLS data for fans and sports betting customers and includes television-visible signage for all 100-plus nationally-broadcast MLS games and unique MLS-themed promotions and sweepstakes. The groups will also work together to develop an exclusive “Free to Play” game for fans.”

MLS Commissioner Don Garber added, “Major League Soccer is proud to partner with MGM Resorts to bring existing and new fans close to our sport in innovative and immersive ways. MGM Resorts is a leader in sports betting, and they recognize the progress of our league and the growth of the sport in the United States and Canada. Together, we will deliver cutting-edge data and analytics to MLS fans, and fan engagement will be the driving force behind every initiative in our partnership.”

Although the first two months of the year have been relatively decent for Macau’s gaming community, March may not be so hot. Analysts with Instinet, the stockbroking division of Nomura, forecast gross gaming revenue (GGR) to remain flat or decline by 5% year-on-year. Bernstein analysts predict a 3% decrease year-on-year.

In a report published this past Monday, Instinet analysts Harry Curtis, Daniel Adam and Brian Dobson said that the GGR for March would not be as good as previously expected. Previously, GGR had expected to remain flat or increase by 5% year-on-year. They added, “Factoring in the somewhat lower-than-expected weekly GGR numbers month-to-date, we now expect the sequential lift in March (from February) to be slightly lower than its historical average of up low-single-digit sequentially.”

The analysts pointed out that the average daily mass-market revenues for the city are about 6-7% lower than the average for last month. VIP volume is about 13-14% lower than it was in February. They further offered, “Assuming GGR per day settles at approximately MOP800 million (US$98.78 million) to MOP850 million [$105.13 million] for the remaining two weeks of the month, we now estimate March GGR will be around flat to down 5 percent year-on-year.”

In Bernstein’s analysis of Macau’s gaming industry, the company estimates the GGR average daily rate (ADR) between March 11-17 to be about $91.77 million. This was similar to Nomura’s estimate, which was $91.89 million.

Although the first two months of the year have been relatively decent for Macau’s gaming community, March may not be so hot. Analysts with Instinet, the stockbroking division of Nomura, forecast gross gaming revenue (GGR) to remain flat or decline by 5% year-on-year. Bernstein analysts predict a 3% decrease year-on-year.

In a report published this past Monday, Instinet analysts Harry Curtis, Daniel Adam and Brian Dobson said that the GGR for March would not be as good as previously expected. Previously, GGR had expected to remain flat or increase by 5% year-on-year. They added, “Factoring in the somewhat lower-than-expected weekly GGR numbers month-to-date, we now expect the sequential lift in March (from February) to be slightly lower than its historical average of up low-single-digit sequentially.”

The analysts pointed out that the average daily mass-market revenues for the city are about 6-7% lower than the average for last month. VIP volume is about 13-14% lower than it was in February. They further offered, “Assuming GGR per day settles at approximately MOP800 million (US$98.78 million) to MOP850 million [$105.13 million] for the remaining two weeks of the month, we now estimate March GGR will be around flat to down 5 percent year-on-year.”

In Bernstein’s analysis of Macau’s gaming industry, the company estimates the GGR average daily rate (ADR) between March 11-17 to be about $91.77 million. This was similar to Nomura’s estimate, which was $91.89 million.

Connecticut and New Hampshire are both moving forward with their respective gambling expansion plans. Lawmakers in the two states have been busy trying to get different gambling bills approved and their hard work is now paying off.

In Connecticut, lawmakers met in special legislative committees yesterday to discuss separate bills. The first would authorize a satellite casino in East Windsor that would be co-managed by the Mohegan and the Mashantucket Pequot tribes. The tribes had anticipated approval of the bill and had already selected a name for the new facility, the Tribal Winds Casino.

A second bill sought to allow a new casino and hotel in Bridgeport. That project was proposed by MGM Resorts and lawmakers in the committee gave the project the green light. Both the Tribal Winds Casino and MGM’s venue are expected to provide thousands of jobs and enhance the state’s economic development. The Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot tribes expect to generate as much as $75 million in tax revenue for the state.

In New Hampshire, the House has given its thumbs up to legalized sports betting. A vote held yesterday resulted a 269-82 decision that will now see the bill head to the Senate for its vote. Certain provisions in the bill, according to House Leaders, will most likely be included into the House’s two-year budget proposal for New Hampshire.

If the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) determines that Wynn Resorts isn’t worthy to hold a casino license in the state, Suffolk Downs won’t look to take over. The company has stated that it now has no desire to operate a casino in the Boston area, but is still moving forward with a multi-billion dollar lawsuit against Wynn and the MGC over the bidding process that ultimately awarded the license to Wynn.

Suffolk Downs was one of several companies that bid on the license for a casino in Boston. It has asserted that Wynn was given the license through back-alley strategic manipulation and tactics; in other words, it cheated.

The lawsuit, which seeks $3 billion in damages, has left Suffolk Downs with a bad taste in its mouth for Boston and the company’s CEO, Chip Tuttle, told the Boston Herald this past Monday that Suffolk has no desire to operate in the city. He added, “That ship has sailed.”

The MGC is still determining if Wynn should be able to operate the Encore Boston Harbor, which is close to having its construction completed. It was given a report last Friday that was completed by its Investigators and Enforcement Bureau following a year-long investigation into the allegations of sexual harassment against Wynn’s founder and former CEO, Steve Wynn.

On March 1, the Phoenix International Club near Hanoi, Vietnam was shut down after its operator wasn’t able to keep its license active. Now, Silver Heritage Group, a gaming operator with venues scattered throughout Asia, is going to receive a nice payout from the Phoenix venue. The company is expected to receive $5.25 million due to the casino’s closure.

According to a filing with the Australian Securities Exchange from yesterday, “As a result of breaches by the owner of Phoenix of the entertainment services agreement [signed with Silver Heritage], primarily the requirement to maintain the gaming licence that allows the operation of gaming activities at Phoenix, [Silver Heritage] has negotiated a settlement agreement with the owner of Phoenix, whereby, inter alia, the company will be paid the sum of US$5.25 million in compensation in full and final settlement of all claims and rights either party may have in relation to the entertainment services agreement.”

It added that the money reflected what would have been earnings over a two-year period that Silver Heritage would have earned if the venue was still operational.

Silver Heritage stated, “The company is of the view that the terms of the settlement, including the termination of the entertainment services agreement, are generally favourable having regard to all circumstances, including but not limited to the recent underperformance of Phoenix, the breaches of the entertainment services agreement by the owner of Phoenix, the uncertainty in relation to the ability for the investment certificate issued to Phoenix to be amended to reallow by law the operation of table games on the premises, and the recent closure by the owner of Phoenix of its casino on March 1.”

Three live tournament results to catch up on including victories for Terry Fleischer in The Wynn Classic, Bill Brynes in the Heartland Poker Tour in St. Louis, and another close shave for Shannon Shorr at the Bay 101 Shooting Stars event.

Some of you will be making plans to watch the Super Worm Equinox Moon, others will be thinking of ways to impregnate the most beautiful woman in the world, so your mates think you’re the shit, and others will be sitting down at a poker table to play cards. Let’s stick with that latter group.

Three live tournament results from North America to get you up to speed on, and we will begin in Las Vegas, a place where you need to play poker wearing a bulletproof vest.

The 2019 Wynn Classic $1,600 buy-in, $1m GTD Main Event is no longer a thing after 982-entrants created a prize pool of $1,428,810, and Terry Fleischer banked the $184,376 first prize.

Two tales from the land of Esports as Valve Corporation prove they are not beyond the scope of hypocrisy by creating a Dota 2 gambling app, and Betway become the sponsor of choice for the BLAST Pro Series.

What’s the old adage?

If you can’t beat them, join them?

In August 2018, as the magnetism of The International 2018 pulled the world’s top Dota 2 teams into its orbit, the game’s developers, Valve Corporation, fired a shot across the bows – climb into bed and get sexy with gambling operators at your peril.

Three tales from the world of PokerStars neatly knitted together with the grace of a household fire insurance claim including Portuguese masses joining the French and Spain for the Spring Championship of Online Poker, hot gossip on UFC branded Spin & Gos, and a fond farewell for Lee Jones. 

In Portugal, you can chop a line of coke along the Ten Commandments and sniff every speck. You can fill a hypodermic full of heroin, and spend a few hours with Mother Superior. And from March 24 to April 11, you can compete in the PokerStars Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP).

The Portuguese may be Usain Bolt ahead when it comes to destroying archaic drug laws and creating world-class footballers, but they’ve been behind the curve when it comes to embracing the benefits of the world’s largest online poker room this side of a solar flare.

Between March 24 and April 11, PokerStars roll out the world-famous SCOOP brand across their Southern European market. It will be the second time the gunslingers of France and Spain have taken potshots at each other across this beast and the first for online poker players in Portugal.

Three pieces of poetry from the palate of partypoker including a PLO partnership with King’s Resort, a beast of a player panel lineup in Rio, and a warning to be on your guard against guns, knives and deadlifts. 

Parents will sacrifice their lives for their children.

A sibling is a distinct possibility.

A nephew or niece, not so much.