G3Newswire ASIA & OCEANIA GAMING NEWS NAGACORP NOW BREAKING GROUND
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Cambodian-based operator NagaCorp has started construction work on its casino resort in Russia’s Far East
Russia - New operations
Cambodian-based operator NagaCorp has started construction work on its casino resort in the Entertainment Zone of the Primorye Region in Russia’s Far East for a project which it is believed will be called Seaside Entertainment Resorts City.
THAILAND – MARINA BAY SANDS’ NEW PROJECT Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands has said it wants to develop a casino and convention complex in Thailand, close to the air- port in Bangkok.
Krist Boo, the company’s Vice President for Communications, was quoted as saying: “We want to invest in Thailand if we are given permission. It must be the kind of integrated resort as in Singapore. We have been searching for new investment not only in Thailand but also all places. Although Thailand has no casino act yet, if this about to hap- pen, it is very interesting. We would love to have an integrat- ed resort at a place close to the [Bangkok] city centre or financial centre, near the international airport.”
Media reports in Thailand have linked Las Vegas Sands with developing an old railway depot site in Bangkok. The Ministry of Finance is believed to be revising the land use for the area, marking it up for development into an entertainment com- plex.
THAILAND – CASINO PLANS DENIED BY NRC Despite the plans outlined above by Marina Bay Sands, Thailand’s National Reform Council (NRC) Chairman, Thienchay Kiranandana, has rejected proposals by some NRC members to legalise casinos in the country. Mr. Kiranandana said the plam did not come from the agency, and it is not part of a recent set of planned reforms.
Mr Thienchay said the proposal has not been submitted to the council. “Calls to legalise casinos are not among the reform proposals we have put up,” he said.
His comment came after a group of 12 NRC members rein- vigorated a dormant proposal to legalise casinos, saying income from legalising casinos would boost state coffers, be good for the poor, and help pay for development projects.
Representing the group, Maj Anan Vacharothai suggested changing the law to legalise casinos, and opening the first casino in Pattaya. He told parliament that legalising domestic casinos will help stop money flowing out of the country and into neighbouring countries where up to 22 casinos have been established. Kriengkrai Phumlaojaeng, another NRC member, said the group is gathering information on casinos from previous studies on the matter, and will invite academ- ics to provide input.
Former Democrat MP Watchara Phetthong slammed the proposal, saying NRC members should come up with ideas to solve the country’s economic problems rather than sup- port nefarious activities.
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A ground breaking ceremony was held at the site, near the port of Vladivostok, which was attended by NagaCorp President Tan Sri Dr Chen Lip Keong, as well as First Vice-Governor of the Primorsky Territory, Basil Usoltsev. The resort will be built in three phases, with the first phase seeing an investment of up to US$200m. It has been designed by Las Vegas casino architects, Steelman Partners.
NagaCorp has said the resort will house 100 gam- ing tables, 500 slots, a 2,000 capacity theatre and a spa.
NagaCorp said: “We expect that the PERC project will commence operation not later than
2018.The group believes that its strategy of diversifying its business geographically and expanding into a new casino market will drive revenue growth in the long term.”
Four operators have so far received the green light to develop gaming resorts in the Russian gambling zone.
Diamond Fortune Holdings Prim is building a US$914m five-star hotel, casino and entertain- ment complex to be called Selena World Resort & Casino. Diamond Fortune CEO George Kondakov said the first phase would cover about 10 hectares.
The First Gambling Company of the East, a sub- sidiary of Summit Ascent Holdings, which includes Macau’s Lawrence Ho, is developing a project called Tigre de Cristal. It is expected to open with 119 hotel rooms, 800 slots, 25 VIP gam- ing tables, 15 mass-market baccarat tables and 25 mass-market tables providing other table games.
Royal Time meanwhile is looking to open its first phase by 2017. Designed by Steelman Partners it will include a 320 room hotel with a casino. Rashid Taimasov, Director General of Royal Time, said the third and final stage should be completed by 2021.
JgC speaker Strock highlights the ‘vast’ Japanese potential
JAPAN Japan has an “almost limitless” potential to build a MICE (meet- ings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) economy if sustain- able integrated resorts (IRs) fea- turing casino-style gambling are developed, according to Jonathan Strock, Director of Casino Development at Lucien Barrière.
The establishment of a MICE econ- omy in partnership with IRs will be a key topic at the second Japan Gaming Congress (JgC) from October 7-9 in Tokyo, Japan. As the country’s politicians debate the merits of an unprecedented bill that could pave the way for casino gambling in designated IRs, Strock, who will be a speaker at the JgC, insisted that Japan has a major opportunity to boost invest- ment and tourism levels.
“There are so few facilities at the moment in Japan, the world’s third largest economy, which is itself just a stone’s throw away from the world’s second largest economy, China,” Mr. Strock said. “Japan’s
transport system is flawless and there is a great choice of sites, from Tokyo to Osaka to Hokkaido to Okinawa. The government wants to increase tourism. All of this points to a very promising future for Japan’s MICE economy.”
The IR bill that is currently under the spotlight is the first to have been escalated to Japan’s Parliament, the Diet, for genuine consideration. Mr. Strock believes that the discussions over the bill will touch upon a variety of poten- tial benefits for the country’s economy that will also be of inter- est to the broader industry.
“Over the next few months and years we are going to hear more and more about sustainability, planning and tourism,” he added. “Corporate Japan organises a vast amount of MICE events, although few are currently organised in Japan itself. Once there are iconic landmark facilities, this economy will be repatriated from Singapore and China to Japan, and the eco- nomic benefits will be vast.”
China WPT Enterprises has been acquired by Ourgame International Holdings, a Hong Kong-listed corporation Ourgame will pay $35m in cash for World Poker Tour, the premier name in internationally televised gaming and entertainment with brand presence in land-based tournaments, television, online, and mobile. “Having already established an exciting partnership with Ourgame, a high growth company led by an enthusiastic group that is fully invested in the global growth of the sport of poker, we are delighted to now become a fully- integrated member of the Ourgame family” said WPT President & CEO Adam Pliska. “I want to thank
bwin.party CEO Norbert Teufelberger and
bwin.party CFO Martin Weigold for all of their support over the last six years, and for helping facilitate this agreement.”
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