Asia
Philippines’ Lower Congressional Chamber Passes Bill to Tax Online Gambling Firms


The Philippines’ lower congressional chamber has passed a bill imposing taxes on online gambling firms.
Online gambling companies, known as Philippine offshore gambling operators (POGOs), offer online betting to customers in mainland China, where gambling is banned. In 2019, President Rodrigo Duterte rejected China’s call to ban such firms, which have fuelled property demand and retail spending in the Philippines since 2016, saying the Southeast Asian nation needed the jobs and fees they generated.
Lawmakers in the lower house approved on third and final reading a measure Congressman Joey Salceda, one of the bill’s authors, said in a statement would generate 144 billion pesos ($3 billion) in taxes.
The upper chamber has yet to pass the counterpart bill. Both chambers will have to reconcile the bills before seeking Duterte’s signature.
Under the proposal, offshore gambling licence holders would pay 5% tax on gross gaming receipts and revenues from other services. It would also impose a 25% tax on gross annual income of foreign employees of the firms, which employ tens of thousands of mainland Chinese workers.
Asia
Made-in-India Battle Royale Indus Gameplay Trailer Revealed via London Takeover, Pre-Registrations Live Now

Leading Indian game developer SuperGaming has revealed the first gameplay trailer for its upcoming Indo-Futuristic battle royale Indus to celebrate India’s Republic Day of January 26, 2023.
To launch the gameplay trailer, the company released a series of high-impact takeovers across the biggest locations in London. This is in line with SuperGaming’s vision of putting India on the global gaming map much like its previous Indus trailer launch at New York’s Times Square to mark India’s Independence Day of August 15, 2022.
“As we’ve been making Indus and seeing its gameplay evolve over the year, we wanted to share it with the rest of the world,” says SuperGaming co-founder and CEO Roby John. “This gameplay trailer is for the Indus community the world over that may not have been able to play it with us and to show off the true scale of battle royale that we want you to have when the game is out.”
The trailer entices players to discover, loot, and win on Virlok — the game’s island map, all while showcasing Indus’ weapons, Paragons (the game’s character skins), and traversal. It also highlights multiple locations and firefights with an intent of showing the scope and size of the battle royale experience SuperGaming aims to provide.
You can check out the trailer right here:
Indus Pre-Registration Details
Pre-registrations for Indus are now live on the Google Play Store for Android with pre-registrations on the App Store for iOS and iPadOS to follow soon. Pre-registering early will get you exclusive surprises that will make your experience of Indus truly your own.
You can pre-register now for Indus via the Google Play Store.
In the run up to Indus’ release date, SuperGaming will have multiple community playtests through the year. The last community playtest was held at Comic Con Bengaluru which was met with a tremendous response from the community, on an average being overbooked by 50 percent for each playtest slot. Players will be able to share their thoughts on various aspects of the game and impact the direction of how SuperGaming crafts its most ambitious title yet.
The first Indus Community Playtest for 2023 will be revealed soon.
For more on Indus, check out the developer blog as YouTube, Discord, Twitter, and
Instagram for the latest behind-the-scenes updates.
Asia
SCCG Management Unveils SCCG ASIA – A Regional Campaign Led by Kent Jenkins from SCCG’s New Office in Bangkok, Thailand

SCCG Management, a leading management advisory firm specializing in the gaming industry, is proud to announce the launch of its new regional campaign, SCCG – ASIA. The campaign aims to provide management advisory services to Casino, iGaming, Sports Betting, and Esports companies in Asia, as well as provide solutions and resources for existing SCCG client partners looking to enter Asia’s gambling market.
SCCG – ASIA will be led by Kent Jenkins, who has been appointed as the Director of the campaign. With decades of experience in international management throughout Asia, Kent brings to SCCG Management a very high level of knowledge and expertise and is well-positioned to lead the campaign from the new SCCG office located in Bangkok, Thailand.
“We are excited to announce the launch of SCCG – ASIA and to have Kent Jenkins at the helm,” said Stephen Crystal, Founder and CEO of SCCG Management. “We believe that the Asian market for the gambling industry is poised for significant growth and we are confident that this regional campaign will help our client partners navigate this dynamic market and achieve success.”
Kent Jenkins said, “I am thrilled to join SCCG and take on the role of leading the regional campaign for SCCG – ASIA. I am eager to work with Stephen and his talented team of industry leaders boasting over 30 years of experience in the gambling industry. I’m excited to utilize my resources and experience to drive growth and success for SCCG in the region.”
SCCG – ASIA will provide a full range of management advisory services, including strategic planning, market analysis, business development and operational support. With a team of experienced leaders from the gaming industry, SCCG – ASIA will empower companies to reach new heights in the Asian market.
The Asian market presents a significant growth potential for companies in the gambling industry as it offers a large customer base due to the continent’s high population, as well as a growing middle class with disposable income. Additionally, the online and mobile gambling market is rapidly growing in Asia, providing opportunities for companies to reach customers through digital channels. Furthermore, some Asian governments are actively encouraging foreign gambling companies by offering tax breaks and other incentives, and some countries are looking to legalize gambling which could open up new opportunities. Overall, the Asian market presents a significant growth potential for companies in the gambling industry.
Asia
Alvin Chau Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison

Alvin Chau, one of Macau’s high-profile gambling promoters, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for racketeering and illegal gambling activities.
Chau was the former chairman of Suncity Group, a Macau-based company that helped promote gambling by lending credit to high rollers. Macau is the only region in China where gambling in casinos is legal.
Chau was ordered by the court to pay the Macau government more than HK$6.5 billion ($830 million) as well as $22.7 million to $98 million to a number of casino operators.
Chau was first arrested in China’s eastern province of Zhejiang on November 2020.
After his arrest, experts said that the move signalled a tougher stance on gambling in Macau by the Beijing authorities.
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