AG Brief is delighted to confirm that the Ministry of Economy and Finance Secretary of State, H.E. Nguon Sokha, will give the opening address at the much-anticipated Mekong Gaming Summit in September.

The conference is due to take place at the Sofitel Phnom Penh from 10-11 September and has the full support of the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MOEF), one of the agencies responsible for gaming regulation, along with the Ministry of the Interior. Both will eventually form the Gaming Management Committee to implement and oversee the Kingdom’s new gaming legislation.

H.E. Mey Vann, director general of the MOEF, will also be speaking at the summit, and we expect to shortly also confirm the Directorate of Investment and Company Administration, Ministry of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations of Myanmar.

In addition to these addresses from government officials, the summit will provide investing and market perspectives on the land-based and online gaming opportunities in the key markets of Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos and Myanmar.

Other highlights of the event include a special gala cocktail reception hosted by the capital’s premier casino and entertainment resort – NagaWorld – on the evening of Tuesday 10th September. Delegates will also be able to meet companies able to assist in setting up their businesses in the region at a table-top exhibition space in the Sofitel Grand Ballroom foyer.

Immediately following the conference, there will be an optional tour to Sihanoukville for those who would like to see the sheer scale of development in Asia’s new gambling mecca for themselves.

Macau junket firm Suncity Group has launched a new VIP Club at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Macau. It is Suncity’s 8th VIP Club in Macau. Rio Suncity VIP Club comprises a total of four VIP gaming rooms and 12 gaming tables.

The company made global headlines last week after Chinese media published an article accusing Suncity of signing up players who gambled in its Macau junket rooms to online gaming and proxy betting services. Both are banned under Macau and Chinese law.

In response, Suncity Group Chairman Alvin Chau Cheok Wa called a special press conference over the weekend at which he revealed Suncity would not conduct any gaming operations currently outlawed in Macau in any other countries and regions, even if those operations are legally allowed within those jurisdictions.

Oriental Group, the Asian-based online gaming giant, has got approval form PAGCOR, the gaming regulator in Philippines, to develop two hubs for the purpose of hosting accredited Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs). The hubs will be based in Clark and Cavite.

The hubs will not only house the offices of accredited POGOs but also workers’ residences and relevant government agencies. The idea is to make it easier for PAGCOR to regulate the industry.

“We are making business more comfortable and easier for the operators by now licensing POGO hubs. Since it’s easier for us to regulate when they are in hubs, then there are some special privileges there like five-year licenses,” PAGCOR chair Andrea Domingo said.

According to Kevin Wong, General Manager of Oriental Game, the Clark hub which is covering an area of around 10 hectares is already operational and will be able to accommodate 5000 workers once at full capacity. The Cavite hub, which will cost Oriental Game Php8 billion (US$156 million) to build, will cover 20 hectares and house 20,000 workers.