Even though Macau-based casino-operating companies recorded a massive 80% drop in gross gaming revenues for March, they will not get financial support, at least not yet. As reported by several news outlets, the casino operators responsible for thirty-nine casino facilities in Macau are excluded from a $1.7 billion-worth economic stimulus program which was crafted by the government with the main goal to help struggling business and companies during these difficult times with the coronavirus pandemic ravaging across the globe

According to one report released by Inside Asian Gaming, the former Portuguese enclave’s government just recently declares that the new economic stimulus program has been carefully crafted to help companies as well as Macau residents with sustaining employment in the area as well as with stimulating local demands following the global financial downturn directly caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

As estimated on the 14^th of April, there are more than 1.9 million cases of COVID-19 infections around the world while COVID-19 resulted in more than 119,000 deaths globally. At the same time, more than 453,000 infected individuals have recovered. The fatality rate was set at four percent in China, while it varies significantly across countries. The coronavirus pandemic had led to worldwide socioeconomic disruptions and it has affected every single industry in the world including the land-based casino industry.

Economic Stimulus Program Aimed at Small to Medium-Sized Companies

It was also reported by Inside Asian Gaming that the newly-designed economic stimulus program by the government of Macau is aimed to help small to medium-sized business ventures and companies. As estimated, the economic stimulus program is worth around $1.2 in addition to $450 million included as electric vouchers to help local residents. Each of these electric coupons for local residents is set to be valued at $626 and residents will be able to use it to purchase a variety of services and products excluding things such as telephone bills and utility.

Before this economic stimulus program emerged, residents of Macau received very similar electronic vouchers worth around $375 individually back in February as Macau struggled greatly with its coronavirus outbreak which eventually led to all Macau thirty-nine casinos to shut down their operations for a fifteen-day period which was extended later on.

Back to the latest economic stimulus plan, it will also see around 260,000 locals Macau employees gifted with a valuable cash subsidy of between $1,878 and $25,000. This support will be available for every one of Macau’s 40,000 small and medium-sized companies and business ventures. At the same time, Macau casino operators are not included in this new economic stimulus program.

Macau Finance and Economy Secretary Reacting to Criticism

Macau’s Finance and Economy Secretary Lei Wai Nong reacted to great criticism concerning that the brand-new economic stimulus program excludes Macau casino operators. Lei Wai Nong said that the Macau government is extremely appreciative of casino operators in the area for not laying off their employees and for sustaining their lives.

Nonetheless, he also added that Macau casino operators had accumulated great profits over the years and in the past months which gives them the ability to sustain employment and maintain operational once the coronavirus crisis passes. He concluded this official press release by saying that Macau’s government is and will be tilted in favor of small and medium-sized businesses, Macau residents and employees and he hopes that Macau casino operators understand their standing.

Melco Resorts and Entertainment Limited is one of the leading Asian casino operators whose boss just recently shared his thoughts on what the future might hold for Macau. The company is an owner, operator, and developer of entertainment and casino facilities across Asia. Melco Resorts Entertainment Limited is based in Hong Kong. It has been present in the industry since 2004.

Today, the company owns several fully integrated casino resorts such as the Studio City Macau property, City of Dreams Manila, City of Dreams Macau, and Altira Macau. At the time of its inception, Melco International Development decided to enter a joint venture with Crown Limited which is an Australian gaming company. This marked the establishment of Melco Crown Entertainment Limited which was rebranded as Melco Resorts and Entertainment Limited back in 2017.

Speaking of the company’s business ventures, Melco Crown acquired a 60% share in the Studio City Macau venue which is a luxurious, resort project located on Cotai. Following new legislation related to the industry in Japan, Melco Resorts and Entertainment Limited submitted its official application to the government of Osaka in hopes to be given necessary permissions to construct and run a fully integrated casino resort here. However, in 209 the company decided to focus on the Yokohama market.

Difficult Times for the Macau Casino Industry

Macau Resorts and Entertainment Limited’s Chief Executive Officer and Chairman Lawrence Ho Yau Lung just recently decided to share his thoughts on what the future may hold for Macau casinos. In one of his official press releases, he said that it could take a long time for the Macau gambling industry to fully recover from the extremely negative impacts of the most recent Wuhan virus outbreak which caused all of Macau casinos to temporarily close their doors for at least fifteen days.

According to one report by GGRAsia, he made this revelation during a conference call with major investors who at the time discusses his company’s fourth-quarter financial outcomes. As previously mentioned, the Hong Kong-listed Macau Resorts and Entertainment Limited company is responsible for a number of casino resorts and several of them are located in Macau including the Studio City Macau venue and City of Dreams Macau.

The company also runs the City of Dreams Manila facility in the Philippines and it is also hoping to soon open its five hundred-room City of Dreams Mediterranean development located in the village of Tserkezoi. Lawrence Ho Yau Lung told major investors that his company anticipates Macau to remain quiet for a long time following the Wuhan virus outbreak. He also told investors and shareholders that in his opinion the gambling industry in Macau will most likely face a number of other difficulties over the following four to six months.

Macau VIP Sector to Rebound First

Lawrence Ho Yau Lung also believed that the Macau VIP sector will be the very first to rebound as it is dependent on high-value players that come from all over Asia to Macau. After the conference was held, the company’s officials also revealed that the firm’s Macau properties stood at around $2.5 million regarding daily expenses while the company’s tally was lower for around $500,000 than before following the company initiating cost-cutting efforts and reductions in other costs across different business levels.

As reported by GGRAsia, the company’s fourth-quarter financial outcomes also show a 3% increase in operating revenues which hit $1.45 billion mainly thanks to the company’s performance related to its mass-market businesses. Nonetheless, the casino operator also posted a 46% diminution in income for the last three months which hit $68.1 million. At the same time, the company’s operational equivalent decreased by around 15% to reach $173.4 million while its earnings before amortization, depreciation, tax, and interest declined for around 4% to reach $409.8 million.

As reported by the Wakayama Prefecture government, this Japanese region has already announced the start of a consultation period in which the prefecture intends to invite all interested parties regarding its plan to bring one of the nation’s trio of fully integrated casino resorts. Wakayama Prefecture is located in the Kansai area on Honshu Island.

The capital city of the prefecture is Wakayama. As estimated in October of 2017, Wakayama Prefecture has a population of almost one million citizens. Since 1996, the prefecture population has been declining and according to reports from 2010, it is the only Japanese prefecture situated in the Kinki area with a population below one million citizens. While its population has been declining, Wakayama Prefecture enjoys millions of visitors who come to visit hot springs located in this area including Yunomine Onsen, Kawayu and Shirahama.

Wakayama Hoping to Benefit from 2018 Federal Legislation

As reported by GGRAsia several days ago, this southern jurisdiction of Honshu island is definitely hoping to benefit from the latest deferral legislation regarding the casino and entertainment industry which was passed in the summer months of 2018. Just like several other Japanese prefectures, Wakayama Prefecture is hoping to be given necessary permissions which will allow the prefecture to bring one of the nation’s three Las Vegas-style gambling resorts complete with exhibition facilities, hotels, casinos, and retail elements.

The government of Wakayama Prefecture is hoping to bring such casino resort to a fifty-acre land plot which is a privately owned land located on the artificial island of Marina City. Wakayama Marina City is a smaller resort town that is built fully on an artificial island of one hundred and twenty-one acres in Wakaura Bay which is part of the much bigger Osaka bay. Wakayama Marina City is located only a forty-minute train ride from the Kansai International Airport which is also located on an artificial island.

Facing Several Serious Competitors

Wakayama Prefecture which is home to around 950,000 citizens has already received major interest from several international casino operators including Groupe Lucien Barriere which is a French hotel and casino operator. However, the Japanese prefecture of Wakayama is facing rather serious competition from eight other communities which are also hoping to be given necessary permissions to run one of the nation’s trio of casino resorts.

The prefecture’s main rivals include communities of Yokohama and Osaka which have also attracted several gaming and entertainment behemoths including Las Vegas Sands Corporation, Wynn Resorts Limited, Melco Resorts, and Entertainment Limited and MGM Resorts International among several other big brands.

It was also reported by GGRAsia that the Japanese prefecture of Wakayama already proclaimed that its casino plan consultation period will run until the 3^rd of March. The prefecture’s government has already invited all interested parties including interested casino and hotel operators to pass their comments on the prefecture’s draft integrated casino resort implementation policies.

These policies lay out all information regarding what the prefecture expects from a private casino and entertainment operators to bring to the official bidding process. The draft integrated resort implementation policies also include provisions that would require the international firm to develop a distinctive facility with a minimum price tag of $10 billion that has to feature a casino floor that would not occupy over three percent of the venue’s floor space. The prefecture hopes to hope its envisioned fully integrated casino resort in four years from now. In the meantime, it has until the 30^th of July 2021 to submit its final, official plan to federal selectors.

For six consecutive years, one of the biggest online poker operators 888poker will be the official sponsor of the biggest poker tournament series, the World Series of Poker or simply the WSOP. The truth is that one of the leading online poker operators 888poker has a rich, long-running relationship with the World Series of Poker and it offers poker fans an amazing opportunity to compete in major WSOP tournaments by participating in online qualifications.

Formerly known as Pacific Poker, 888poker is a leading, international online poker network and cardroom which has been going strong since 2002. The poker network is owned and operated by 888 Holdings owns several gaming websites and brands besides its 888poker including 888sport, 888casino and a number of popular bingo brands. 888 Holdings was founded twenty-three years ago in 1997.

The 888poker Game and Tournament Offering

Today, the 888poker website includes loads of different poker variations for all poker fans such as High and Low Omaha, Texas Hold’em as well as Seven Card Stud Poker alongside tournament games and popular Sit & Go. All of the brand’s poker products are available across all major gaming platforms including Apple and Android devices, PCs and laptops.

It is worth mentioning that 888poker was the very first online poker operator to introduce webcam poker tables which allow 888poker members to enjoy better socializing when playing their favorite poker games. Back in July of 2013, 888poker also launches its poker mobile app which marked the company’s expansion across the growing mobile gaming market. the brand also offers an excellent loyalty program and all members of the 888poker Club gain access to daily free tournaments, great cash prizes, and other perks.

In addition to being the official sponsor or the WSOP since 2014, 888poker also hosts the iconic 888poker Live poker event which has been held across several cities for years. Besides, 888poker also organizes online legend branded as the XL Championships Series which includes XL Blizzard, XL Eclipse and XL Inferno. Back in November of 2017, the World Poker Tour and 888poker entered into a business partnership which enabled all 888poker players to qualify for the World Poker Tour DeepStacks which at the time was held in Berlin.

The World Series of Poker 2020 Details

The upcoming 2020 World Series of Poker event will be held at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino which is a hotel and casino located close to the Las Vegas Strip. The venue is managed by Caesars Entertainment and owned by Eric Birnbaum. The Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino was the very first all-suite luxurious resort to open its doors in this area. The World Series of Poker will kick off on the 26^th of May.

It was already revealed that PokerGo and ESPN together will broadcast footage from the WSOP events so that interested fans can keep up with all of the actions. When it comes to 888poker and its involvement in the series, the company which owns the poker brand will offer its members who are not located within the United States the great opportunity to qualify for the WSOP 2020 Main Event online.

Additionally, 888poker will be offering loads of other options including special campaigns and promotions while satellite tournaments are also included on the menu. Some of these options are already offered by the operator while the majority of special promotions by 888poker will continue until the 14^th of June.

The International Gaming Awards or simply the IGA is regularly supported by some of the most renowned iGaming industry’s insiders, gaming operators and gaming venues including both land-based and online casinos. The International Gaming Awards is held every year as managed by the Clever Duck Media Ltd. company which is a prominent event management firm with an effective, creative and passionate team that has a unique, innovative understanding of the entire gaming industry.

The International Gaming Awards 2020

Just like every year, this year’s event gathered masses. The International Gaming Awards of the IGA 2020 took place at the Savoy Hotel located in London on the 3^rd of February. This year’s event was supported as well as enhanced by loads of renowned online and land-based casino insiders as well as a number of different gaming clients from all tiers. Some of the event’s sponsors included IGT, Pilot Games, SG Games, SA Gaming, Connective Games, Alea.com, Melco, Pragmatic Play, Yggdrasil Gaming, Videoslots Casino, 1XBet Professional Betting, Play’ n GO and many others.

The International Gaming Awards 2020 awarded several top-tier companies including online casino gaming and online sports betting operators for their unique, innovative work in the industry. A number of brands were also recognized for providing a unique, very positive impact in the industry via several different awards categories. One brand definitely stood up from its competition and this is William Hill which for two consecutive years has been named the IGA Sports Betting Operator of the Year.

Considering the operator’s recent successes which have helped it secure this prestigious award, the William Hill sports betting operator is taking all the right steps to remain one of the leaders in the industry. When it comes to its Sports Betting Operator of the Year by the IGA awards, the operator is recognized for its amazing ability to lead the industry not only in its customer numbers but also for its tablet and mobile customers as well as for its mobile platform’s originality and innovation.

William Hill’s Excellence

The Sports Betting Operator of the Year 2020 winner is also recognized for providing a number of premium-level customer services and products including its telephone service, usability and growth of its sports betting platform and its marketing efforts. All in all, the winning operator has shown that it excels in everything that the market demands and even more.

Commenting on the news, William Hill International’s CEO Patrick Jonker said that this year has started in an excellent way for his company. The company’s CEO also pointed out that his company’s major gaming brand Mr Green had enjoyed a similar success after winning the EGR Nordics Awards Operator of the Year just several days before the company’s major sports betting brand won the Sports Betting Operator of the Year IGA Award.

Being awarded the Sports Betting Operator of the Year by the International Gaming Awards just shows how well William Hill is positioned in the industry especially when it comes to the company’s two major brands. Mr. Jonker also said that he could not be any prouder of his teams. Another brand that was honored at the International Gaming Awards was the excellent Yggdrasil Gaming that was named the Innovator of the Year for four consecutive years. Yggdrasil Gaming won the award thanks to its remarkable developments including its new division named Yggdrasil Publishing.

Local authorities in Macau have instituted a series of measures which will help the authorities insulate the area from the outbreak of a coronavirus which has so far claimed over eighty lives in China while almost three thousand people are infected. According to one report released by The Straits Times newspaper, this previously unknown, highly-infectious virus was first reported in the city of Wuhan late in December last year.

This highly-infectious virus causes infected victims to develop symptoms that are very similar to pneumonia including breathing difficulties, coughs, shortness of breath and fever. 2019 Novel Coronavirus, also known as 2019-nCoV, belongs to a coronavirus strain which was identified as the cause of the most recent outbreak of severe respiratory problems. Early on, many of the victims in the outbreak in the city of Wuhan had some connection to a massive animal and seafood market in this city which suggests animal-to-human spread.

Nonetheless, a growing number of victims of the virus have not had any exposure to these seafood and animal markets which indicates that the spread of the virus from a person to a person is also occurring. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC, the most recent virus outbreak in China is closely monitored. The outbreak has resulted in almost three thousand confirmed cases and this number is rapidly growing with confirmed cases found outside of China including the United States, Japan, Australia, and several other international locations.

Previous Measures Employed in Macau

As reported two weeks ago, health officials in the Macau Special Administrative Region have taken certain steps to combat the most recent outbreak including installing body temperature monitors at certain public spaces including entry points at land-based casinos in the area as well as entry points at the Portas do Cerco border and Macau Ferry Terminal.

With the count of infected individuals growing every day, Macau health officials have decided to fight this outbreak by employing a series of further measures besides installing body temperature monitors. According to the area’s health officials, the staff at every one of Macau’s forty casinos must wear protective face masks. Moreover, the staff at casinos in the area also must institute schemes that require every single arriving visitor to provide information for a health declaration form.

Authorities in the area have also revealed that they will more regularly clean different public spaces such as bus stops and taxi stops alongside other measures including installing body temperature monitors. As reported by The Straits Times newspaper, the new measures were revealed shortly after Macau identified its very first victim of the most recent virus outbreak.

The identified victim is a fifty-two-year-old businesswoman who had visited Wuhan several days ago via train. It was also revealed that the virus victim has stayed at the Macau New Orient Landmark Hotel with two friends who were admitted to a nearby hospital to undergo necessary treatment.

Global Consequences and Danger

Macau’s Social Affairs and Culture Secretary Ao Ieong Iu said to The Straits Times newspaper that Macau experienced a massive increase in tourists over the weekend due to Chinese New Year celebrations which surely puts in danger millions. Ao Ieong also said that visitors from Wuhan are not banned, but everyone should be cautious. So far, almost three thousand individuals are affected across China with several cases identified in the USA, Thailand, Australia, France and Austria which makes the virus a global threat.

One of the leading online casino content developers, the High5Games company has recently announced the signing of an important business agreement with The Stars Group Incorporated which operates and owns Poker Stars. Thanks to this partnership deal, the company’s impressive collection of video slots will be fully integrated into The Stars Group’s domains at PokerStarsCasinoNJ.com and PokerStarsCasino.eu.

The online casino content developer used its official press release to share more details about this deal which has already seen the New Jersey-friendly and Europe-based gaming sites integrated its prominent Vault remote gaming server to fully incorporate around thirty games crafted by High5Games including it’s the Green Machine Deluxe, Double Da Vinci Diamonds, and Secrets of the Forest among many other popular titles.

Continual Commitment to Expand Its Presence

In addition to its latest partnership deal with The Stars Group, High5Games has already signed a number of similar business agreements and deals which will see the company expand its presence across certain markets. For instance, the company has partnered with PariPlay Limited as well as LeoVegas AB before partnering with The Stars Group. In its official press release, the company’s officials said that High5Games will provide The Stars Group access to between four and eight new games every single month.

Commenting on the news, the High5Games CEO Anthony Singer said that this alliance definitely marks one of the strongest periods of the company’s commercial and business growth. He also added that for the company this deal brings more potential business deals as more and more companies become interested in what the company has to offer to its partners. He finished the official press release by saying that his company is very excited to be partnering with The Stars Group which is one of the most respected brands in the industry.

Mutually Beneficial Partnership

This new agreement will benefit both sides in a number of ways. On one hand, this is a great opportunity for High5Games to get their portfolio in front of more eyeballs. The Stars Group is one of the leading players in the iGaming market with a huge customer base, so the supplier’s presence on the platform will definitely boost popularity for some if not all of their titles.

On the other hand, The Stars Group is in the constant battle to keep up with the rest of the competition, which is quite fierce. One way of doing so is by making sure they have a wide range of quality games offered on their platform, which is best achieved through partnerships with lesser-known but quality suppliers that could easily capture the attention of the players.

H5G has made it easy for their partners to access the full portfolio of games through their Vault remote gaming server. There are currently more than 150 titles available on Vault with more games to be added in the future. So, the supplier doesn’t just develop premium games with top-quality graphics and entertaining features but also provides the underlying technology that ensures swift, simple, and easy integration. All of these reasons certainly played an important role in The Stars Group’s decision to enter this latest content supply deal with the developer.

One small Illinois city, Country Club Hills located in Cook County has become the runner in the race which will secure the sole operational license to construct and operate a luxurious casino that is planned for the state of Illinois. According to one report released several days ago by the Chicago Sun-Times news outlet, one of the smallest communities Cook County has revealed that it will be partnering with Spread Group in hopes of being given the necessary permission to bring its casino and hotel to a two hundred-acre land parcel located along Interstate 80.

The same newspaper also revealed that the mayor for this area, James Ford was initially very reluctant to his community planning to enter this race in the first place. As reported, the major declared in one of his official press releases that the community of Cook County had not planned to enter the race for the possible Cook County license mainly due to the area’s close proximity to Tinley Park.

Cook County Reluctant at First

He said that the community’s administration was somehow forced to re-think the previous decision after the state’s Governor Mr. Pritzker said that they would not be selling state property to the village of Tinley Park for the main purpose of constructing an envisioned racino. It was reported that the Governor’s decision came shortly after the name of one of the individuals involved in the racino plan appeared in several corruption-related federal warrants.

This was the move that had blindsided the majority of local developers and led to a chain of events that led to the County Cook administration deciding to enter the contest for the casino license after being reluctant initially. As soon as the racino plan was completely pulled off the table, the county’s administrative officials decided to join the race. At the moment, the state of Illinois serves as home to ten gaming venues while six more casinos are opening their doors soon in the cities of Rockford, Waukegan, Chicago, and Danville.

When it comes to the race for the latter, the competition is rather strong with several powerful communities that have already joined the race including the communities of Matteson, Calumet City, and Lynwood. In the meantime, the communities of East Hazel Crest and Homewood are planning on partnering with Poarch Band of Creek Indians in hopes to construct and run a $275 million-worth casino and hotel.

Important Community Benefits

Opening a new casino is always seen from a number of different angles. Lately, the US public has certainly been more positive to new casino venues, seeing them as important boosters for local economies, creating new job posts and generally improving the financial situation of areas where they’re located and further.

Thus, it comes as no surprise the competition for new casino locations is a fierce one. Whatever area gets to build a new casino will also get to reap many of the benefits that come with such a project, from the initial construction to actually opening and running the casino. So, it will be interesting to see who ends up building a new casino in Illinois and how things will pan out in the end.