Asia
NagaCorps revenue hikes considerably in 2017 as its new casino complex woos more punters
In the preceding year NagaCorp, the largest hotel, gaming and leisure operator in Cambodia listed in the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong, since 2006 saw its revenue hike considerably as the new phase of its casino-hotel complex based in the city of Phnom Penh wooed a significant number of VIP gamblers and Chinese tourists to its advantage.
Revenue at the company leapt 79.9% to $956.3 million last year, invigorated by a 142% revenue growth in VIP betting volumes. The Net profit soared 39% to $255.2 million.
As per the Company official’s perspective, NagaCorp is advancing as planned with the construction of a new casino hotel outside Vladivostok, Russia irrespective of the steep increase in gaming taxes there lately that could impact its investment returns.
Philip Lee, the Group’s Chief Financial Officer, said the Russian resort will start off its operation next year as per the schedule. In accordance with the statement of the company revealed in 2013, it had planned to invest at least $350 million in the project.
NagaCorp’s plans are contrary to those of Macau gaming tycoon, Lawrence Ho Yau-lung’s. Through two of his listed companies, the casino investor in December sold his entire stake worth $21.3 million in the developer of Tigre De Cristal — the only casino hotel now in operation in Vladivostok. His move came shortly after Russian parliament approved a bill that potentially doubles gaming taxes in its eastern Primorsky gaming zone.
“An office has been established in the city centre of Vladivostok, Russia,” the company said in its latest financial statement. “Certain key personnel have been appointed to monitor various aspects of the progress of the project which remains broadly on schedule for operation by 2019.”
Group management said it will “proactively” bring more Chinese tourists to its resorts and continue to explore the possibility of operating casinos in Japan.
“The opening of Naga2 in November last year significantly increases the quality and the range of VIP, mass gaming and the non-gaming offerings,” said Lee on Wednesday, referring to its second-phase casino complex in Cambodia, close to its first development called NagaWorld.
Naga2 features 903 hotel rooms and suites, some 300 gaming tables and 2,500 gambling machines. It also houses a 2,200-seat theatre.
The group’s VIP segment has seen much stronger growth than the mass market since Naga2’s opening. Revenue from VIP tables soared to $625.3 million last year from $225.7 million a year earlier while takings from public tables grew just 15.4% to $149.7 million.
NagaCorp, which contributed roughly 3% of Cambodia’s total gross domestic product in 2017, also counts on Chinese tourists for its growth. A total of 1.2 million Chinese visitors travelled to Cambodia last year, marking a 46% increase from 2016, according to the country’s tourism board. China surpassed Vietnam last year to become the largest source of tourists in Cambodia.
Chairman Timothy McNally, said: “We are optimistic those numbers of Chinese visitors would continue to increase.” To capture the Chinese outbound tourism boom, he said the group is considering expanding its current aircraft fleet to carry travellers from places without direct flights to Cambodia. “We’ll continue to be proactive and bring in more people from various mainland cities,” McNally said. It currently owns two Airbus aircraft and leases one.
He also reiterated that the group has a “keen interest” to operate casinos in Japan.
“As a gaming jurisdiction, Japan has wonderful potential,” McNally said, adding that management had visited various Japanese cities for discussions with local authorities. “Now we are just waiting for some additional information.”
At one point in Wednesday trade, the Hong Kong-listed shares of NagaCorp rose almost 10% to 7.17 Hong Kong dollars, its highest since 2014. But, it narrowed gains to closed 5.5% higher at HK$6.89 by the end of the day, while the benchmark Hang Seng index declined by 0.9% to close at 30,323.20.
Source: nikkei.com
Asia
MelBet Appoints Bollywood Actress Sherlyn Chopra as its New Brand Ambassador
International iGaming company MelBet has appointed Sherlyn Chopra, one of India’s famous and glamorous actresses, as its new brand ambassador.
As a brand ambassador, Sherlyn would be involved in creating exclusive content and promoting MelBet in international markets.
Sherlyn Chopra is known for her significant success in the film and television industry. Her work, including her role in the psychological thriller, Red Swastik, made her popular in India. Sherlyn is actively involved in showbiz and continues to expand her horizons by doing popular web-series, music albums, short films, launching glamour and style apps and other creative projects.
“I am incredibly excited to become a part of the MelBet family. Sports are more than just games or competitions as they unequivocally bring people together. I am proud to contribute to its popularisation with such a reliable partner. MelBet is not just about gaming, casinos, or sports. It is about team spirit towards involvement in the games, followed by highs and lows which are inevitable in the pursuit of success and victory. MelBet is an experience that brings us closer as a community and in setting our goals and achieving them. I am looking forward to starting our collaborative journey and the opportunities that we can create and explore for our growing game lovers,” Sherlyn Chopra said.
With this appointment, Sheryln joins other leading names, who represent MelBet in India and globally. MelBet believes that with her fearless approach to pushing boundaries, she embodies the innovative spirit that MelBet values – which led to her appointment. This partnership is expected to strengthen MelBet’s connection with sports enthusiasts, gamers and those passionate about the game, opening up new opportunities for clients and helping to further expand the brand’s reach across South Asia.
Asia
Savvy Games Delegation Joins More Than 30,000 Fans for Tencent and Hero Esports’ Honor of Kings Grand Finals in Beijing
The inaugural King Pro League Grand Finals 2024, the biggest esports event in China, drew more than 30,000 fans to a sold-out Beijing Workers’ Stadium on Nov 16. A delegation from Savvy Games and the Esports World Cup Foundation also joined the iconic event hosted by Chinese tech giant Tencent and the largest esports company in Asia, Hero Esports (formerly known as VSPO).
HRH Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, Vice Chairman of Savvy Games Group (Savvy); Brian Ward, CEO of Savvy; and Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation, attended the tournament where two top Chinese esports teams competed for the inaugural Holy Dragon Cup and a record prize pool.
A total of 70 million rmb ($9.8 million) was awarded to the top 12 teams who advanced through the rounds of the six-week-long tournament. The final showdown was between Chengdu All Gamers and Chongqing Wolves, where Chengdu All Gamers emerged victorious in a best-of-seven series and took home 22 million rmb ($3.1 million) in prize money.
King Pro League, the premier esports league for Tencent’s hit game Honor of Kings, is the biggest esports league in Asia. Honor of Kings is the world’s most popular mobile game with more than 100 million daily players. Hero Esports has been the organizer of KPL tournaments since the league was first launched in 2016.
This year marks the inaugural KPL Grand Finals, which replaces the Honor of Kings International Championship for Chinese Honor of Kings competitors and features the top teams from across China, one of the biggest esports markets in the world with the most players. Events were held at arenas in Chengdu, Hangzhou and Changsha, with the Grand Finals event being held in Beijing.
The popularity of esports is growing rapidly around the world, encouraged by government support in a number of countries and new products and technology. According to a Frost & Sullivan Report, the market size of the esports gaming industry has experienced a significant increase at a CAGR of 15.2% from US$29.8 billion in 2017 to US$52.6 billion in 2021, and is expected to increase further at a CAGR of 12.1% from US$57.9 billion in 2022 to US$102.4 billion in 2027.
The report also shows that the number of gamers globally has experienced a significant increase at a CAGR of 7.1% from 2.3 billion in 2017 to 3.1 billion in 2021, and is expected to further increase at a CAGR of 5.5% from 3.3 billion in 2022 to 4.3 billion in 2027.
Danny Tang, CEO and Co-Founder of Hero Esports, commented: “Hero Esports is proud to have been a part of the first King Pro League Grand Finals, which is an example of the high calibre esports tournaments that fans and players everywhere deserve. The strong enthusiasm we’ve seen for this event in its first year is a testament to the significant growth of interest in this sport and the support of our high-profile sponsors. The atmosphere in the arena was electric and we congratulate the Chengdu All Gamers in winning the inaugural Holy Dragon Cup.”
Hero Esports, formerly known as VSPO, is a leading player in the global esports industry, collaborating with major game developers and global brands and organizing tournaments for players and fans across the world. It is the biggest esports tournament operator in Asia, having hosted 86 tournaments in the region in 2023, of which 62 were in China, compared with a total of 77 tournaments in 2020, of which three were overseas. The company recently announced the Esports Asian Champions League (ACL), Asia’s new premier international esports tournament featuring multiple titles.
Sponsors of the King Pro League Grand Finals 2024 include Meituan, Snapdragon and SAIC Volkswagen and iQOO.
Asia
Natural8 India gives poker enthusiasts across the country a chance to become Asian Poker Tour (APT) champions from the comfort of their homes!
Ever dreamt of testing your skills at poker competitively, against some of the best poker players in Asia? If you have, then let it be a dream no more! Natural8 India is giving poker players across the country, both amateur and professional, a chance to win up to 20 Asian Poker Tour (APT) trophies with the biggest-ever online APT series with millions in prize pools: the APT Online 2024!
Having kicked off on November 10, the APT Online 2024 offers players a chance to win up to 20 APT trophies, including three exclusive and bespoke APT Online Lion Trophies, and millions in prize pools across the Main Event, High Roller, and Super High Roller tables. Natural8 India will also automatically enter all players participating in any APT Trophy events into the Lucky Draw Flipout at no extra charge, giving five top players a chance to win the APT Main Event Live Packages.
Speaking about the event, Kunal Patni, Executive Director and Country Head, Natural8 India, said, “The APT Online 2024 is an unparalleled opportunity for poker enthusiasts in India to experience the thrill of competitive poker on a grand stage. We are thrilled to bring this prestigious series to players across the country, giving them the chance to not only test their skills against the best and compete for APT trophies and massive prize pools. Our goal is to make top-tier poker accessible to everyone, and we hope to inspire a new wave of talent to rise through India’s growing poker community. We are excited with the response so far and are looking forward to even more players, whether seasoned pros or just starting on their poker journeys, to participate in the exciting, thrilling experience that the APT Online 2024 is shaping up to be!”
With all this available with buy-ins as low as INR 1,100 and from the comfort of your home, what are you waiting for? Visit Natural8 India today and sign up for the table right here, and get a chance to compete against other poker enthusiasts and earn glory by becoming an APT Trophy winner!
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