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Melco’s Cyprus “Glow Your Way to Macao” Roadshow Promotes Macao’s Status as a Leading Leisure and Business Travel Destination to European and Arabian Markets

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With the aim of supporting the SAR government’s plans to promote international travel and boost tourism in Macao, on September 17, hosted the second in its series of “Glow Your Way to Macao” events, this time in Cyprus, to promote Macao’s status as a top travel leisure and business destination.

To appeal to travelers from European and Arabian countries, Melco invited approximately 150 guests from the government of the Republic of Cyprus, the Macao SAR government, travel agencies, business associations and media representatives from across Europe, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and Macao to the event hosted at City of Dreams Mediterranean. The roadshow introduced attendees to Macao’s diverse historical and cultural offerings and attractions, as well as Melco’s unparalleled and award-winning hotel, entertainment, dining and exhibition facilities.

Showcasing Melco’s steadfast commitment to promoting Macao as a global hub for both leisure and business travelers, Melco has set up sales offices to promote the city in Singapore, Hong Kong and the Philippines, and is currently in the process of setting up a sales office the Republic of Cyprus.

Mr. Lawrence Ho, Chairman and CEO of Melco, said: “As a prominent integrated resort operator deeply rooted in Macao, we are thrilled to host our second ‘Glow Your Way to Macao’ event at City of Dreams Mediterranean. It serves as a testament to our support for the SAR government’s drive to attract further international travelers the city, and to expand Macao’s visitor sources in alignment with the “1+4” diversified development strategy. Being a study of contrasts — from its multicultural heritage to its culinary identity, Macao is a unique destination that truly never sleeps. We are thrilled to support the Macao government’s efforts to promote the city’s gastronomy, sporting events, culture, heritage and the creative arts as it continues to diversify and bloom. We are confident that Macao will grow to become an even more cherished and popular destination for travelers from Cyprus, the broader European and GCC market, as an exciting and remarkable city for visitors to immerse themselves in electrifying excitement.”

Mr. Andreas Gregoriou, Head of Presidency, Cyprus, said: “It is a great pleasure to welcome the Macao Authorities to Cyprus for this roadshow, showcasing Macao’s potential as a global destination for leisure and business travel. Cyprus, with its strategic location at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa, offers unparalleled access to markets in the wider Mediterranean, the Middle East, and beyond. As a member of the European Union, Cyprus serves as a gateway to one of the largest and most diverse economic zones in the world.”

Ms. Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office, said: “Macao and Cyprus have much in common and great room for cooperation in tourism and beyond. Helped by Melco Resorts & Entertainment’s City of Dreams Mediterranean and its Macao Sales Office in Cyprus, I believe that we can spark a long-lasting friendship and cooperation between our two destinations. We look forward to joining hands with Macao’s integrated resort enterprises to create more cooperation and jointly expand the international visitor source markets.”

Mr. Sam Lei, Director of Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) of Macao SAR, said: “As we strive to enhance Macao’s MICE development, it is great to see Melco continue to implement initiatives to promote the city and its MICE infrastructure to overseas markets, this time to audiences in Europe and the GCC. We will continue to leverage Macao’s unique advantages by collaborating with cross-sector stakeholders to attract more professional and international events, and make the ‘Golden Calling Card’ of Macao as an international metropolis shine brighter.”

Industry News

Dutch Mental Health Care Calls for Total Ban on Online Gambling Advertising

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The Dutch mental health service is calling for a total ban on online gambling advertisements in the Netherlands.

Although a ban on untargeted gambling advertisements and a ban on the use of role models has been in effect since 2023, a recent research by KRO-NCRV’s Pointer shows that (illegal) gambling companies and sports tipster platforms are still enticing young people via social media such as TikTok and Snapchat.

By using influencers and terms like “free money”, they try to attract a young audience and thus lower the threshold to start gambling. This concerns both legal online casinos and online casinos that do not have a license in the Netherlands. The Gaming Authority has started an investigation based on Pointer’s findings.

Pointer’s research shows that part of the gambling industry deliberately targets young people who are often susceptible to promises such as “fast money” and the influence of role models. Ruth Peetoom, chair of the Dutch mental health service, compares this approach to that of the tobacco industry, where similar marketing strategies were used to get young people to smoke.

Despite the existing advertising ban, gambling companies continue to explore the boundaries of the law, according to Peetoom. The Dutch mental health and addiction care associations in the Netherlands therefore push for a total ban on online gambling advertising and stricter rules for the duty of care of gambling providers.

With the call for a total ban, the Dutch mental health care sector hopes to prevent further normalisation of gambling behaviour among young people and to protect them from the temptation and consequences of online gambling.

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Compliance Updates

UKGC: Market impact data on gambling behaviour – operator data to Oct 2024

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UKGC: Market impact data on gambling behaviour - operator data to Oct 2024
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The Gambling Commission has published further data on the gambling industry in Great Britain.

This data, sourced from operators, reflects the period between March 2020 and September 2024, inclusive, and covers online and in-person gambling covering Licensed Betting Operators (LBOs) found on Britain’s high streets.

Comparison should not be made with the industry statistics dataset, as this dataset may include free bets and bonuses and does not include data from all operators.

This release compares Quarter 2 (Q2) of financial year 2024 to 2025, with Q2 of 2023 to 2024, looking at how the market has changed in comparative periods over a year.

The latest operator data shows:

  • online total Gross Gambling Yield (GGY) in Q2 (July to September) was £1.32 billion, an increase of 11 percent from Q2 the previous year. The overall number of total bets and/or spins increased 12 percent Year-on-Year (YoY), reaching a new peak for the third consecutive quarter of 25.2 billion, whilst the average monthly active accounts2 in the quarter increased 8 percent
  • real event betting GGY increased by 6 percent YoY to £453 million. The number of bets decreased 10 percent, while the average monthly active accounts in Q2 increased 9 percent
  • slots GGY increased 16 percent to £680 million YoY. The number of spins increased 13 percent to 23.3 billion while the average monthly active accounts in Q2 increased 16 percent to 4.4 million per month. Although this is a new peak for GGY in this dataset for the slots vertical, it should be noted that one operator has re-classified some of its products into the slot vertical this quarter, which has had an impact on the vertical data
  • the number of online slots sessions lasting longer than an hour increased by 9 percent YoY to 10 million. The average session length remained at 17 minutes. Approximately 6.1 percent of all sessions lasted more than one hour compared to 6.6 percent in Q2 the previous year. The number of spins per session has fallen from 147 to 142 YOY, whilst the GGY per session has fallen from £4.20 to £4.13 in the equivalent timeframe
  • LBO GGY decreased by 1 percent to £533 million in Q2 2024 to 2025, compared to the same quarter last year, while the number of total bets and spins decreased by 0.1 percent to 3.1 billion.
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Industry News

Petra Maria Poola Joins Xace as Group Commercial Director

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Xace has announced that Petra Maria Poola has joined the company as Group Commercial Director.

Petra brings a wealth of experience from the iGaming industry having formerly held roles at several iGaming companies such as Yolo, Relax Gaming and SiGMA. She will lead the commercial growth of Xace and its group companies, including crypto and iGaming focused xda.io, helping to drive strategic initiatives across banking, fintech and iGaming solutions.

In her new role, she will mainly oversee the growth of the group’s sales, marketing and account management functions, ensuring a cohesive strategy that supports Xace’s ambitious expansion plans.

“I am incredibly excited to start this new chapter with Xace, and work alongside such a talented team and management. Transitioning into the fintech space, while still connected to iGaming, presents an exciting opportunity for growth and learning. I’m looking forward to applying my expertise to help Xace and its group companies achieve new heights commercially, while gaining deeper insights into the fast-evolving world of fintech,” said Petra Maria Poola.

Reuben Abel, CEO of Xace, said: “Petra’s extensive background in the iGaming sector, combined with her commercial acumen, makes her a valuable addition to the Xace team. She will play a crucial role in expanding Xace’s market presence and enhancing its suite of services tailored to the specific needs of the iGaming and fintech industries.”

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