Asia
Cambodia Grants 13 Casinos Licenses in Four Months

The authorities in Cambodia have granted 13 casino licences in the first four months of this year. Ros Phearun, an official in the Ministry of Finance in Phnom Penh, said that the authorities had now granted a total of 163 casino licences and 91 of the licences were for casinos in the province of Preah Sihanouk.
“We have granted a lot of licences, but there are actually only 51 casinos in operation. The rest are now being built, while some have halted operations. The rise in the number of casinos reflects the increase in tourists, particularly Chinese,” Mr Phearun said.
He said the government is expecting US$70 million in tax revenue from the gaming industry this year. He also added that the relevant ministries had finished drafting legislation governing gaming, and that the respective bill would be sent to the Council of Ministers soon, with a view to its eventual enactment.
“With this law, we hope that to attract more big casino investors and increase revenue from the industry. I think that, as a result of this law, revenue collected from the industry will double,” Phearun said.
Asia
QTech Games Targets Indian Market with New Recruitment Drive

QTech Games has announced further expansion plans across emerging markets in Asia, featuring a new recruitment drive around India’s breakout territory.
As the fastest-growing games distributor in Asia, QTech Games is logically broadening its reach into the world’s second-most populous country, where it is now taking applications from experienced sales people with knowledge of the India market.
The proven success of QTech Games’ new partnership model is opening up new territories for operators looking to secure a foothold in the Asian market via QTech Games’ local expertise and unique infrastructure.
“At QTech Games, we’re currently seeing the greatest growth in India. That’s no surprise considering a ramping population of 1.3 billion, near universal access to 4G, and dropping costs for smartphones and the internet, even in the backwaters. Consequently, India’s online sector has welcomed a raft of acquisitions this year, as operators plant their flags in the sand ahead of the expected boom. Accordingly, QTech Games is now offering operators the chance to become the integration partner for new content / studios, removing the hassle of integrations in order that internal tech teams can concentrate on value-added processes. In fact, our company axiom is simply: one seamless integration for all the emerging and growth markets,” Markus Nasholm, CEO of QTech Games said.
“A flexible platform and an open mind are the only things you must be sure to take with you, wherever you’re travelling across this ever-changing landscape – and, at QTech, our market-leading platform has you securely packed for all the best, localized games – majoring in mobile. Asian operators aren’t too bothered if you have the ‘traditional’ game providers. That said, if you don’t have the Fish game in China, there’s a 0% probability of becoming successful. And it’s a similar story with the Andar Bahar card game in India, where the eyes of the industry are converging right now. As a result, we’re already on a strong recruitment drive to hire the best and brightest minds as our tentacles extend into ever more culturally-specific and diverse territories. So, if you’re an expert with relevant experience in the territory, we’d love to hear from you,” Markus Nasholm added.
Asia
Nagasaki to Choose IR Operator in Autumn 2020

Nagasaki Governor Hodo Nakamura has told his prefectural assembly that his administration plan is to select its IR operator in the next autumn.
In advance of that action, Nagasaki will settle its local implementation policies by March and shortly thereafter conduct the RFP process.
As for the RFC process, at the end of November, it was confirmed by the prefectural government that four potential IR operators had become confirmed participants, suggesting that one firm which had been expected to participate dropped out.
The Nagasaki IR plan proposes building the facility at the Huis Ten Bosch theme park in Sasebo city.
Asia
Local Business Community Dismays at Hokkaido’s Withdrawal from IR Race

The Hokkaido business community has dismayed at the announcement by Governor Naomichi Suzuki that the prefecture would abandon plans for an integrated resort (IR) due to environmental concerns.
Prior to the announcement it had been estimated that there would have been an investment of between JPY280 to JPY380 billion in an IR, bringing in annual turnover of over JPY 150 billion. It was widely hoped that this could be the long-awaited impetus to turn around the economy and help reverse the depopulation of Hokkaido. Instead, there has been huge disappointment for Tomakomai city and the local business community in the days since Governor Suzuki’s decision.
Tomakomai mayor Hirofumi Iwakura stated, “We are extremely disappointed and wonder why.”
In respect to comments by the Governor that an inability to conduct an environmental assessment on the proposed IR site within the timeframe given by the national government was behind the decision, Iwakura said, “If it was really just about the environment, we could find a way,” adding that the city will not drop its growth plan to revitalise the tourism industry and attract foreign visitors via an international resort.
Hiroaki Fujita, Chairman of the Tomakomai IR Promotion Council, said, “I am not satisfied that these plans have been shelved.”
Fujita said he would continue to be active in IR promotion activities in the future.
Tomoharu Miyamoto, Chairman of the Tomakomai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, stated, “I want people to understand that we need an IR and accept the challenge.”
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