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Macau’s Top Lawmaker Reveals Beijing Spies On Gamblers

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Macau's Top Legislator Reveals Beijing Spies On Gamblers
Ho Iat Seng, member of Legislative Assembly of Macau. (Photo credits: Macau Business)
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The Chinese mainland officials who once piled the proceeds of their embezzlement onto the baccarat tables of Macau are a thing of the past, according to Ho Iat Seng, president of the enclave’s legislative assembly.

Speaking to Chinese state-run media during a trip to Beijing this week, Ho claimed that the facial recognition technology used to identify individuals entering casinos had all but eradicated the problem.

He also mentioned that mainland public servants are “monitored” during visits to Macau, alluding to the possibility that Beijing spies on its citizens in the gambling enclave.

We will know right away when a government official from the mainland walks into the door, and there are people who have got calls from their supervisors the moment they sit down,” Ho said.

Many officials are on the surveillance list,” he added. “It’s become quite difficult for employees of the banking and financial sector to travel to Macau, let alone officials.

Sea of Dirty Money

On acceding to power in 2012, Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered a wide-scale “anti-corruption” campaign to counter the graft that had become endemic in the Chinese system.

Macau was a hub for the of laundering stolen public money as the gambling industry became a vehicle for the movement of billions of dollars from the mainland. Meanwhile, news reports of officials amassing enormous gambling debts caused widespread public anger on the mainland.

In late 2014 the anti-graft campaign intensified in Macau as Beijing imposed stricter controls on the movement of money and tightened regulations on the junket industry. The VIP segment got the message and stayed away from the enclave.

Macau’s casino market soon began to feel the pinch, its revenues plunging for month after month for nearly two years until it bottomed out in the summer of 2016. Many of the VIPs have now returned, just not the corrupt ones, according to Ho.

Spy Vs Spy

Intriguingly, if Beijing has indeed been spying on its public servants in Macau, Chinese agents may not have been the only operatives in town.

A report compiled by a private investigator in 2010, which came to light during the high-profile wrongful dismissal case between LVS and the former CEO of Sands China Steven Jacobs, suggested Beijing was convinced that LVS’ properties in Macau were crawling with CIA agents.

The Chinese government believed these agents were involved in the “luring and entrapping mainland government officials, involved in gaming,” in the hope of blackmailing them into “cooperating with US government interests,” according to the report.

If true, it places China’s anti-graft policy in Macau in a revealing new light.

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Asia

SCCG Announces Strategic Partnership with Gridlogic

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SCCG Management, a premier advisory firm in the gaming industry with a global footprint and over 100 best-in-class client partners, announced a strategic partnership with Gridlogic, a leading Real Money Technology group and a pioneer in the iGaming industry. This partnership is set to enhance SCCG’s initiatives in the rapidly growing Indian gaming market, leveraging Gridlogic’s innovative technology solutions and artificial intelligence capabilities for player protection.

With Gridlogic’s reputation as one of India’s fastest-growing gaming technology companies, this collaboration marks a significant milestone in SCCG’s efforts to expand its global market entry and distribution of gaming products and platforms. Gridlogic, known for its next-generation technology and artificial intelligence applied to skill gaming, brings to the table a wealth of expertise and a robust portfolio of technology services that include gaming, data management and business transformation.

Stephen Crystal, Founder & CEO of SCCG Management, said: “Our alliance with Gridlogic represents a pivotal step forward in our mission to navigate the complexities of the global gaming landscape. Gridlogic’s innovative approach and technological prowess in the Indian market complement our strategic goals perfectly. Together, we are poised to unlock new opportunities and drive significant value for our stakeholders in one of the world’s most dynamic gaming markets.”

Pariekshit Maddishetty, Founder of Gridlogic, said: “Partnering with SCCG Management is a landmark moment for us at Gridlogic. Their global perspective and deep industry insights align seamlessly with our vision of revolutionizing the gaming sector through technology and artificial intelligence. This partnership not only strengthens our position in the Indian market but also accelerates our journey towards becoming a global leader in gaming technology solutions.”

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Asia

PAGCOR TURNS OVER PHP4.59-B CASH DIVIDENDS TO STATE TREASURY

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THE Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) today remitted a total of Php4.59 billion in cash dividends to the National Treasury to help fund the national government’s efforts in ensuring the country’s sustained economic growth and development.

The latest remittance represents 75% of PAGCOR’s net income in calendar year 2023. It is higher than the usual 50% remittance pursuant to the request of Finance Secretary Ralph Recto to PAGCOR to advance an additional 25% dividend to fund government expenditures.

PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro H. Tengco said the state gaming firm’s robust earnings from gaming operations enabled it to book Php79.37 billion in gross revenues and net earnings of Php6.13 billion in 2023 as dividend base, paving the way for a higher dividend rate declaration.

“Our remarkable income performance in 2023 set the stage for this higher dividend contribution to the national government, and this epitomizes not just financial success but our unwavering commitment to national development,” Chairman Tengco said.

The dividend declaration consists of Php3.06 billion or 50% of PAGCOR’s 2023 net earnings plus an advanced 25% or Php1.53 billion which may be applied to future dividend remittances.

The dividend check was received by Deputy National Treasurer Eduardo Anthony Mariño III during simple ceremonies at the new PAGCOR Executive Office in Pasay City.

Mariño said the higher remittance from PAGCOR would help set in motion the administration’s socioeconomic agenda as the country is coming from a challenging year where it found difficulty achieving growth targets due to inflation.

“Every peso of this latest remittance from PAGCOR is directly translatable to additional expenditure which can help accelerate growth. This would certainly empower the national government in initiating transformative change this year,” he explained.

The remittance by government owned and controlled corporations or GOCCs of at least 50 percent of their net earnings to the National Government is mandated under Republic Act (RA) No. 7656, otherwise known as the Dividends Law

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SOFTSWISS is Best Platform Solution in Asia

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SOFTSWISS is Best Platform Solution in Asia
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SOFTSWISS, an international tech company with over 15 years of experience in iGaming, celebrates its resounding success in Asia, triumphing in two categories at the Asia Gaming Awards. 

The Asia Gaming Awards convenes key stakeholders from the Asian gaming sector – operators, regulators, suppliers, and service providers – to celebrate achievements within the industry. In 2024, SOFTSWISS earned recognition in the categories of Best One-Stop Platform Solution and Best Affiliate Marketing Solution.

With over 15 years of experience in the iGaming industry, SOFTSWISS crafted a robust ecosystem of products that allows its clients to create an iGaming business from scratch. Having a complete range of products and solutions for online gaming and betting, SOFTSWISS also offers innovative tools for player engagement and a comprehensive system of services.

Over 860 brands employ SOFTSWISS’ software to provide an exceptional player experience to more than six million players from different regions all over the world. Notably, 80% of SOFTSWISS clients are satisfied with the company’s products and services, according to a survey conducted by the leading marketing agency Kantar.

Vitali Matsukevich, Chief Operating Officer at SOFTSWISS, shares his delight: “SOFTSWISS is proud to acquire the esteemed Best One-Stop Platform Solution Award, which testifies to the outstanding contributions of our company to the development of the Asian gaming industry. We express our earnest gratitude to our dedicated team for their tireless efforts and our valued clients for their trust, pivotal to our success.”

Another well-deserved award belongs to Affilka by SOFTSWISS, a modular and feature-rich software platform which helps manage, track, and analyse affiliate performance. 

According to Kantar’s survey, held at the end of 2023, Affilka’s customer satisfaction rate was 8.1 out of 10. At the same time, 97% of respondents expressed satisfaction with Affilka’s service.

Boasting a client’s portfolio of more than 320 iGaming brands in 2023, the affiliate marketing platform shows almost two times YoY growth in affiliate GGR.  

Anastasia Borovaya, Head of Affilka by SOFTSWISS, comments on the recent victory: “We are proud to achieve this recognition in the Asian gaming market. Our team puts a lot of effort into constantly evolving product performance. Let this accolade fuel our unwavering commitment to innovation and excellence, driving us forward as we continue to serve our clients with the highest standards of quality and service.”

Since the beginning of the year SOFTSWISS has already gained such prestigious accolades as Responsible Gaming, Crypto Company, Platform Provider, Software Supplier, and others. The esteemed awards, namely IGA, GGA EMEA, SiGMA Eurasia, EGR Nordics, SiGMA Africa, Asia Gaming Awards stand as obvious recognition of SOFTSWISS’ significant contribution to the iGaming industry all over the world. 

 

About SOFTSWISS 

SOFTSWISS is an international tech company supplying software solutions for managing iGaming projects. The expert team, which counts over 2,000 employees, is based in Malta, Poland, and Georgia. SOFTSWISS holds a number of gaming licences and provides one-stop-shop iGaming software solutions. The company has a vast product portfolio, including the Online Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator with thousands of casino games, the Affilka affiliate platform, the Sportsbook Platform and the Jackpot Aggregator. In 2013, SOFTSWISS was the first in the world to introduce a Bitcoin-optimised online casino solution.

 

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