As we’ve covered previously, push communications are the act of sending a one way message that does not require a response, or at least not an immediate one. In a business setting, you’re likely to interact more with push communications than any other type of communication, simply due to the prevalence of email and memos. For today, I’ll touch on when you want to be pushing out information, when you don’t, and how this type of communication combines with interactive and pull communications.

When should I be pushing a communication?

Depending on your position, your boss and your organization, this question may be answered for you to a large degree already. Perhaps you need to send a weekly report to the directors. Maybe monthly townhalls require you to speak in front of your staff. Or if you have the type of boss who wants to know every little thing you do, maybe you need to notify them by email every time you’ve completed a task.

If you haven’t been told when to send out communications though, then there’s a few ways to help you determine when a push communication is a good idea, and they typically revolve around three things.

The first half of this year has not been good for many industries, especially the casino industry. Globally, the number of casinos that were able to remain in operation dropped to almost nothing and Macau, which has lived primarily off of gambling, was no exception. Once a casino mecca that gave gamblers the feeling of being a kid in a candy store with too many options, the city became a ghost town because of COVID-19. Recovery has started, but it will take several years for revenue levels to normalize. As all casino operators in Macau are reporting major losses, SJM Holdings has chimed in, presenting its numbers for the first half of the year. The final tally is dismal but, if analysts are correct, there’s a silver lining in the near future.

According to a filing with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, SJM’s net revenue fell 74.4% across the first six months of the year, primarily due to the impact caused by the coronavirus. The loss amounted to $182.2 million, which is a stark contrast to the $216.7 million net gain it reported for the same period last year. EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) also fell, dropping down into the red.

In the half, net gaming revenue came in at $550.8 million, while EBITDA was -$126.93 million – a year ago, it was $268.3 million on the plus side. VIP gross gaming revenue (GGR) dropped 81.6% to around $107.58 compared to $584.3 million in the first six months of last year. According to SJM CEO and vice-chairman Ambrose So Shu Fai, “SJM’s first-half results reflect the severe contraction in travel and tourism caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. In this environment, we strive to control our running costs at a prudent level.” If SJM can get its new Grand Lisboa Palace in Cotai up and running, which it hopes to have ready by the end of the year, it will give the company a huge boost.

The good news, according to analysts with Sanford Bernstein, is that the GGR market share controlled by SJM increased in the first half. Vitaly Umansky, Kelsey Zhu and Tianjiao Yu wrote in an analysis of the company, that its market share “surged to 30.3 percent in the second quarter, up from 13.3 percent in the first quarter this year,” adding, “This is largely attributed to the local mass business on the [Macau] peninsula in which SJM has a stronger position than peers. This share gain is an anomaly of the current market.”

Anyone who has ever dreamed about space travel, but who felt their ambitions were out of this world, could soon have a chance at turning that dream into reality. Virgin Galactic wants to be the first company to offer regular trips into outer space and has already been running trials. It’s ready to take the next step and hopes to soon let passengers take a seat on the VSS Unity as they prepare for an experience unlike any other. To drum up more interest in the project, Virgin Galactic recently showed off the interior of the spaceship, and the results are almost as stunning as the trip will be. 

VSS Unity is an air-launched plane that will offer suborbital flights. It offers six custom seats and 17 windows that will allow passengers to view the world as they climb to 60 miles above the planet. Once the ship reaches its peak altitude, passengers will be able to free themselves from their seats and float around in zero gravity, enjoying the view from all sides and all angles. 

George Whitesides, the chief space officer at Virgin Galactic, is as excited about the future as are the 600 customers who have already signed up. He brags about the circular mirror in the back of the passenger cabin onboard VSS Unity, explaining that it is a way “to allow our customers to see themselves in space in a way that has really never been done before.” In addition to the reported 600 already on the list, there are another 400 that have expressed interest, with everyone apparently willing to fork over the $250,000 it will cost to take the 90-minute journey. 

Virgin Galactic’s maiden voyage will almost certainly see the company’s founder, Sir Richard Branson, occupy one of the seats. He has been determined to make the VSS Unity a reality, and has been able to receive serious backing for the project. While the COVID-19 pandemic has put a damper on things, the project is forging ahead and Branson hopes to be able to launch “in months, not years,” according to comments he made previously. 

Macau was dealt a serious blow because of the coronavirus pandemic, the type of hit that lingers well after you get back on your feet. At best, it could be argued that the gambling hub has only just now started to find its footing, but it still has a long way to go before it can catch its breath again. That may not happen, either, unless everyone takes their responsibilities seriously and ensures that health guidelines are being met. Short of that, Macau officials warn that the city’s casinos could be shut down once again. 

Anyone visiting a casino in Macau has to be able to prove that they’re negative for COVID-19 before stepping onto the gaming floor. That policy was established by the city’s health bureau and has received some backlash from the locals who argue that, since there are no active cases, the requirement is overbearing. What they fail to realize, however, is that the only way to ensure there are no active cases is by requiring the tests, since not everyone is willing to play by the rules. 

It was just discovered that Chinese gamblers are turning to smugglers to enter Macau in order to bypass security and health checks. All it takes is for one of those individuals to be carrying the coronavirus for Macau to be set back another six months. If taking extra precautions in view of the global pandemic is difficult for some, then the best option is just to stay locked up at home until either a legitimate vaccine is found or until COVID-19 runs its course. 

The Health Bureau asserted yesterday, “The gaming industry is the most important industry in Macau. Generally, people stay on casino floors for a longer time than other places, so that the risk of spreading the virus would be higher than in other places. Many infected people do not show obvious symptoms. It is hard to guarantee that Macau does not have any hidden patients at this moment. We have the conditions to keep a close eye on the preventive works of casinos.”

The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) feels that Australia could do more to create a better, safer sports gambling market. The country has existing guidelines designed to keep corruption and match-fixing out of sports, through the Australian Sports Wagering Scheme (ASWS), but the IBIA believes Australia could do a better job. It is making suggestions (in pdf) for ways to improve the framework, and it is now up to Aussie regulators to decide whether or not to accept the input.

The IBIA participated in an open call by gaming regulators in Australia to review the ASWS, which had been made so the government could receive feedback on its sports integrity initiatives. In response, the IBIA recommends the removal of in-play betting restrictions, which it asserts will help protect the legal sports gambling market and further push out black-market operators. Previous reports have indicated that the underground gambling market in the country is worth as much as AU$2 billion ($1.42 million).

Australian lawmakers and gaming regulators are considering the launch of a new regulatory body to oversee sports gambling, Sport Integrity Australia (SIA). It would be used as a centralized data collection agency for all of the country’s syndicated professional sports and would implement an integrity task force to monitor all sports wagers. The creation of SIA came as part of a large review of Australia’s sports gambling scene, the 2018 Wood Review, which recommended 52 changes to improve the industry.

As the name suggests, the 2018 Wood Review was presented two years ago, and the IBIA feels that Australia hasn’t done enough to implement the recommended changes. In providing its latest comments on the state of sports gambling integrity in the country, the IBIA asserts, “It is particularly disappointing that the Government has not supported the Wood Review’s recommendation on in-play betting to properly address the integrity challenges presented by offshore betting, notably unregulated or poorly regulated Asian betting operators. The absence of an effective and coherent policy on in-play betting is detrimental to the regulated market.”

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The Indian market represents the final frontier for the online gaming community, with the potential market worth of billions to the local economy and international operators. Our own Stephanie Tower sat down with Ranjana Adhikari, Media Entertainment & Gaming Co Head of Nishith Desai Associates to discuss which direction India is going in.

Ranjana laid out what the gambling industry’s landscape looks like. “We are predominately an AI gaming market,” she said. “We have legacy casinos in three states, mass union territories, but that’s not the key market when you are looking at the future of gaming in India. The real market is in AI gaming and we do have some really popular products today spanning right from card games like rummy and poker and right into the close cousin of sports betting, you’ve got daily fantasy sports becoming immensely popular. We have seen a lot of interest coming in from international operators as well for games and sports betting products.”

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tudaMKSLDao?feature=oembed]

While the Indian market is showing tremendous potential, Ranjana pointed out regulation is needed to develop the industry in India. “When you are looking at legislation in India, even in a normal world in a non-COVID world it takes a lot of time for a piece of legislation to find the voice of reason,” she said. “Then the opinion of the political parties and then becoming law, it’s a rather long process. The law commission of India have been given the task of looking at whether legalizing horse betting and gambling in general.”

US regional casino operator Boyd Gaming says it’s doing better than expected during the resumption of operations following their lengthy COVID-19 shutdown.

Boyd closed all 29 of its gaming venues in March as the pandemic took hold, and the first of these properties didn’t reopen until May 20, while others waited until the end of June and one (the Par-A-Dice in East Peoria, Illinois) didn’t get the nod until July 1. So year-on-year comparisons are essentially meaningless, but here goes.

Boyd generated revenue of $209.9m in the three months ending June 30, less than one-quarter of its revenue in the same period last year. The company booked an earnings loss of $110.5m versus a $52.5m gain last year and a net loss of $108.5m versus net income of $48.5m in Q2 2019.

Boyd’s properties were all subject to capacity restrictions upon reopening, with a corresponding effect on revenue. But thanks to “increased efficiencies in our operating model,” properties in Boyd’s dominant Midwest & South division reported “double-digit” earnings gains while the second-ranked Las Vegas Locals market was also ahead earnings-wise when compared to the same period of operation last year. Only the Downtown Las Vegas casinos were struggling to meet or beat their previous earnings results.

Massachusetts’ sports bettors are one step away from legal online wagering, while the major leagues are one step away from earning a cut of betting proceeds.

On Tuesday, the Massachusetts House of Representatives voted 156-3 in favor of Bill H.4879, An Act Enabling Partnerships for Growth. Among other economic opportunities, H.4879 would authorize legal online and land-based sports betting in the state. (View the bill in its entirety here, betting info starts on page 15.)

The bill, which now heads to the state senate for further debate before the current legislative session ends on Friday, envisions three categories of betting licenses: hybrid online/land-based betting for the state’s casino operators; in-person betting for state racetracks; and a ‘Category 3’ license for any Massachusetts-licensed fantasy sports operator that is also licensed for legal sports betting in at least two other US states.

In case anyone’s forgotten, Massachusetts is home turf for DFS-cum-betting monster DraftKings, while Flutter Entertainment’s FanDuel brand also meets those Category 3 criteria. In a unique step for US betting legislation, Massachusetts won’t require these operators to partner with a land-based operator to offer online betting.