Asia
Tack Chun Group, estimates a double digit expansion in the rolling chip turnover of its VIP gaming club in 2018
As per the estimations of a senior executive of Tak Chun Group, a junket operator which owns and operates gaming clubs in hotels, the rolling chip turnover of the group’s VIP gaming clubs is anticipated to expand by double digits of percent in 2018.
In view of this, the Chief financial officer of Tak Chun, Tsang Ka Hung said: “Our conservative estimation is that there will be at least a 10- to 20-percent growth in rolling chip turnover. This matches the estimate of the market and that of the major investment analysts.” Currently, the customer volume and bet amount have both increased. With more customers and higher betting amount, it feels like the growth has returned to that in the 2013 and 2014 period before the fall of the market.”
According to the data from local regulator, the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau, the casino gross gaming revenue (GGR) market-wide in Macau – another measure of industry performance – expanded consecutively by 18.6 percent in 2013 mostly fuelled by high roller play. Whereas in 2014, as late as November that year, the overall market had been advancing for a modest GGR expansion but concluded a wee bit negative judged year-on-year after a 30.4 percent GGR deterioration in December 2014. For the subsequent two years, Macau casino GGR shrank consecutively, which some investment analysts said was spurred by an anti-corruption campaign in mainland China.
Tak Chun executive Mr Tsang made his comments about the current state of the market on Sunday on the sidelines of the opening ceremony for Tak Chun’s new VIP gaming club at the Plaza Macao, a casino property promoted by Macau gaming operator Sands China Ltd at the Four Seasons Hotel Macao.
The new VIP club has 12 gaming tables spread across four rooms, according to a press release issued by Tak Chun on Sunday. The document also said that it was the 18th VIP gaming club “under Tak Chun”.
Preceedingly, Tak Chun told GGRAsia that the firm had 15 VIP clubs currently in the Macau market, including the newly-opened club at the Plaza Macao.
“Our VIP gaming clubs are usually in those five-star [casino resorts]. The trend is to ask for more than 10 gaming tables with four to eight rooms. Only with VIP gaming clubs of such scale can we satisfy the demand of our clients,” Tsang added.
Further, he said: “The customers now have a higher expectation on service [quality], so we need better-decorated venues, bigger rooms and more gaming tables, so as to provide customers with more choices.The firm clarified to GGRAsia on Monday that it had currently a further three VIP clubs “overseas”.
Strong 2017
Lei Chi Wai, a Director of Tak Chun, told local media earlier this month that the firm recorded an almost 30-percent “growth” in 2017. Mr Lei did not mention whether that was measured by VIP gross gaming revenue or rolling chip turnover. Mr Tsang confirmed on Sunday it was a reference to the latter.
The Tak Chun CFO also revealed that the performance of Tak Chun VIP gaming clubs during the recent Chinese New Year holiday period was “quite good”, with a double-digit expansion compared to the prior-year period. He did not specify what measure of performance was being used.
In other comments, Mr Tsang said enhanced regulation of the Macau junket sector would benefit the market.
“We agree on [the need for] regulating junket operators. Regulated and qualified operators will benefit the industry. As for [Tak Chun], we have always been adhering to regulations, be it on [anti-money laundering] and other operational procedures. I believe that [the changes on government regulations] will not have much effects on us,” said the executive.
He added: “The elimination of weaker operators [from the market] has nothing to do with regulations. It is [related to] the competition. There will always be new junket operators who join the market and the existing ones that exit. With a more stringent [regulatory framework], the smaller junket operators can only strive to adapt and stay in the market… I encourage competition in the market.”
Mr Tsang said his company had yet to hold meetings with local officials regarding possible further amendments of the regulatory framework. But he expected that changes would focus on the quality of junket operators and the demand for a higher capital deposit for licensed junkets.
The Macau government has said it plans to revise the city’s regulatory framework on the operations of the city’s junket operators. Several representatives of the junket industry told GGRAsia in January that the consolidation of the junket sector had plateaued, meaning that the number of licences was not likely to see any significant contraction this year.
In the meantime, Mr Tsang said that there “could be” one VIP room in Macau opened by Tak Chun in mid-year, with one to two more in the second half of 2018. But the CFO did not reveal the names of the casinos involved. He also revealed that the firm is currently communicating with “one to two” regions in Southeast Asia regarding the opening of VIP gaming clubs.
The Tak Chun executive said he thought the opening of new casinos in neighbouring jurisdictions served as an indicator of a strong growth in Macau casino business.
“This is because their clients are also people from mainland China. When there is an increase in the number of clients, the increase will take place in both the Southeast Asia market and the market of Macau. After all, mainland Chinese customers ‘like to visit’ those places,” Mr Tsang said.
Tak Chun was identified by analysts as among five junket operators due to launch new VIP clubs at MGM Cotai, the new casino resort operated by Macau gaming concessionaire MGM China Holdings Ltd.
Meanwhile, Tak Chun’s Chief Executive Levo Chan also talked to local media briefly on the sidelines of the opening ceremony.
“We will launch a new VIP gaming club in July. We are confident about the market,” he said, without revealing the location of the to-be-launched VIP gaming club.
Asia
Team ATK Oshun excels at 2024 Online Championships held on 13 April 2024
Mind Sports South Africa’s (MSSA) 2024 Online Championships held on 13 April 2024 showed sterling results.
The championship was yet another chance for many esports athletes to qualify for MSSA’s National Team Trials to be held on 25 May 2024 at which the team will be selected to officially represent South Africa at the African Qualifiers which lead up to IESF’s 16th World Esports Championships to be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in October and November 2024..
All Registered Players who have finished in the top three places, or the top 20% – whichever is greater, are entitled to enter trials.
However, it must be remembered that all players must have a valid passport to participate in the National Team Trials.
It was indeed exciting to watch just how much all the female teams have improved.
Team ATK Oshun (ATK Club Sport) being a female team astounded all with their skill and sportsmanship. The team demolished all ATK Club Sport opposition to ultimately won the premier event overall and qualify for the National Team trials to be held on 25 May 2025.
IESF’s 15th World Championships will be played to the following titles:
- Counter-Strike 2
- Counter-Strike 2 – Female division
- DotA 2
- eFootball
- Mobile Legends, Bang Bang
- Mobile Legends, Bang Bang – Female division
- PUBGM
The high standard of play saw 37 Registered Players from six provinces being awarded Provincial Colours. Only Limpopo, Free State, and Northern Cape did not have Registered Players who did not earn provincial colours.
Title | Name of player/team | Club | Provincial Colours awarded |
Clash Royale – Premier | Johan Coetzee | Middies | Mpumalanga |
Clash Royale – High School | Aryan Maharaj | PR0NHS | |
Counter Strike: 2 | ATK Oshun | ||
Kaylee Ludick | ATK Club Sport | Gauteng | |
Jessica Eleez Greeff | ATK Club Sport | Gauteng | |
Christin Brazier | ATK Club Sport | Gauteng | |
Megan van der Westhuizen | ATK Club Sport | Gauteng | |
Kayhla Rose Calder | ATK Club Sport | Gauteng | |
DotA – Premier | ZAG DOTA 1 | ||
Suhail Khan | ZAG Academy | Gauteng | |
Travis John Waters | ZAG Academy | Western Cape | |
Mark Kilian Lehle | ZAG Academy | Gauteng | |
Mohammad Dhooma | ZAG Academy | Eastern Cape | |
Nicholas Dammert | ZAG Academy | Gauteng | |
eFootball – Premier | Aslam Parker | PES Society | Gauteng |
FIFA 24 – High School | Daiyaan Hendricks | PES Society | Western Cape |
Mobile Legends – Premier
|
Mavericks | ||
Matthew Tatalias | Mavericks | Gauteng | |
Damian Bransby | Mavericks | Western Cape | |
Preshan Pillay | Mavericks | Gauteng | |
Mohammad Azhar Ansari | Mavericks | KwaZulu Natal | |
Taygan Gabriel | Mavericks | KwaZulu Natal | |
Luke Green | Mavericks | Western Cape | |
Mobile Legends – Premier – Female
|
AHG | ||
Je’nielle Cavanagh | PES Society | Western Cape | |
Inez Pringle | PES Society | Western Cape | |
Salma Parker | PES Society | Western Cape | |
Ra’isha Prout | PES Society | Western Cape | |
Fatimah Prout | PES Society | Western Cape | |
Mia Anthony | PES Society | Western Cape | |
PUBGM
|
Team uEnvy | ||
Richard Henry | ZAG Academy | Eastern Cape | |
La-eeq Arendse | ZAG Academy | Western Cape | |
Kyle Dudley | ZAG Academy | Western Cape | |
Clayton Leak | ZAG Academy | Western Cape | |
Rocket League – Premier – 1 v 1 – Premier | Nathan Strange | Hoërskool Klerksdorp | |
Rocket League – Premier – 1 v 1 – High School | Luther Peens | Hoërskool Klerksdorp | |
Street Fightter V – Premier | Marnus van der Merwe | Hoërskool Klerksdorp | North West |
Tekken 8 | Stasch Cloeta | Team PlayBell | Western Cape |
Valorant – Premier
|
TuksValorant | ||
Tapiwanashe Keith Matema | TuksEsports | Gauteng | |
Kyle Halvorsen | TuksEsports | Gauteng | |
Jaden Connor Swarts | TuksEsports | Gauteng | |
Ronald James Tyler Wheeldon | TuksEsports | Gauteng | |
Alejandro Luca Sartini-Kruger | TuksEsports | Gauteng | |
Armand Pierre van der Colf | TuksEsports | Gauteng | |
Sportsmanship Award | Je’nielle Cavanagh | PES Society |
Asia
PAGCor Welcomes Lawyer Wilma Eisma as New President and Chief Operating Officer
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCor) today welcomed its new President and Chief Operating Officer, lawyer Wilma Eisma, who took her oath of office before Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin in Malacanang this morning.
“We are happy to welcome Atty. Wilma Eisma as PAGCor’s new President and Chief Operating Officer,” PAGCor Chairman Alejandro Tengco said. “We know she will be a great asset and her vast experience in both the government and private sectors will surely be put to good use here.”
Tengco said he witnessed Eisma’s oath-taking in Malacanang this morning. She then immediately joined her first PAGCor board meeting in the afternoon as the agency’s first ever woman President and Chief Operating Officer.
A lawyer by profession, Eisma earned her law degree from the Ateneo de Manila University and was a member of the Board of Directors of the Development Bank of the Philippines before joining the state gaming firm.
Prior to that, she also served as the first woman Administrator and Chairman of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).
Her private sector stints include leadership roles in PMFTC Incorporated, the Philippine affiliate of Philip Morris International.
She also held key positions at the Department of Trade and Industry where she worked at the Office of the Secretary and in the Office of the Majority Leader in the House of Representatives, among others.
Eisma succeeded Atty Juanito Sanosa Jr who resigned as PAGCor President and Chief Operating Officer last January.
Asia
Maharashtra Government rewards state’s Asian Games 2022 Esports athletes with INR 10 lakhs; marks historic moment for Indian Esports
In a groundbreaking move, the Directorate of Sports and Youth Services of the Government of Maharashtra has rewarded a significant amount of INR 10 lakhs to each Esports athlete of the state who represented India in the Asian Games 2022, held in Hangzhou. This marks a historic moment for Indian Esports, as it is the first time any state has included Esports alongside mainstream sports in prize money rewards for its state players in a major tournament. The recipients of this monetary reward include Darshan Bata, captain of the DOTA 2 team, along with his teammates Krish Gupta, Ketan Goyal, and Shubham Goli, as well as League of Legends athlete Samarth Trivedi.
Expressing his gratitude, Darshan Bata, the captain of the DOTA 2 team who hails from Mumbai, said, “I would like to express my sincere thanks to ESFI and the Maharashtra government for honoring us and recognizing and supporting Esports.”
Esports made its debut as a full-fledged medal event at the Asian Games 2022, where a total of 476 athletes from 30 different countries competed for gold medals across seven titles. India participated in four of these titles, including DOTA 2, EA Sports FC Online, League of Legends, and Street Fighter V: Champion Edition.
“It has been a great experience at Asian games, I am grateful for the support I received from the Maharashtra government and I really appreciate the efforts ESFI has contributed to our journey,” stated Ketan Goyal of Pune who was a part of the DOTA 2 team at the Asian Games 2022.
The talented Indian contingent for the Asian Games was sent by Esports Federation of India (ESFI), who had organized open for all nationwide online qualifiers to select the best and most deserving athletes to compete for the nation at the tournament.
“Really happy to see that Esports is getting recognized and we are being aided by the government. Thank you for the support to Maharashtra Government and a big shoutout to ESFI for giving us this opportunity to represent India in the Asian games,” highlighted Krish Gupta of Pune, a member of the Indian DOTA 2 team.
The League of Legends team, in particular, achieved a historic fifth-place finish at the 19th Asian Games after competing against top-tier teams from around the continent.
“I am really grateful to the Maharashtra government for providing us with the financial support. It is amazing to see Esports being recognized by the Government. A huge shoutout to ESFI for giving us the opportunity and platform to compete at the Asian Games 2022 in Hangzhou,” commented Samarth Trivedi of Thane who played a pivotal part in the country’s performance in League of Legends at the tournament.
Prior to the 19th Asian Games, India had also secured a remarkable bronze medal at the Commonwealth Esports Championships in DOTA 2, showcasing the country’s prowess in video gaming on the international stage.
“Thank you ESFI and team for all you support throughout Asian games 2022. We are really blessed and honored by Maharashtra Government for supporting Esports players and considering Esports in events like Commonwealth and Asian Games,” noted Shubham Goli, a resident of Pune who represented India at both the Commonwealth Esports Championships as well as the Asian Games 2022 in DOTA 2. The latest FICCI-EY report titled ‘#Reinvent: India’s media & entertainment sector is innovating for the future, India is expected to have 20 international teams by 2024.
The Maharashtra government’s recognition and support of Esports signals a significant milestone in the journey towards mainstream acceptance of competitive gaming as a legitimate sport in the country.
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