In order to rank the 50 most powerful people in Asian gaming, the panel considered almost 100 candidates. These five are the people knocking on the door of the Power 50 and those we currently consider the most likely new entrants next year. Although we did rank these five people 51 through 55, we’ve listed them below in alphabetical order to keep a bit of mystery around the precise order!
Having previously run City of Dreams Manila as Property President from November 2015 to February 2018, Geoff Andres returned to his previous role in early 2021 in a swap deal with fellow Melco Resorts executive Kevin Benning, who is now at Macau’s Studio City. It’s been a solid ride in Manila for Andres, although uncertainty abounds. Like all of Entertainment City’s integrated resorts, City of Dreams Manila has seen revenues decline due to lower visitation from South Korea and China. It also remains to be seen if Melco successfully offloads its 50% stake in the property in the coming months. Should it do so, Andres will likely be on the move.
One of the Philippines’ most influential businessmen, Lance Gokongwei is CEO of JG Summit Holdings – founded by his late father John Gokongwei Jr – a conglomerate with interests in airlines, telecom, banking, food, power and property. Last year he also assumed control of family real estate arm Robinsons Land Corp (RLC) from his cousin, Frederick Go, who stepped down after accepting an invitation from Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr to head the government’s Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs. RLC is the parent company of Universal Hotels and Resorts Inc, which operates Cebu’s first and only true integrated resort development, NUSTAR Resort & Casino, opened in 2022.
Former Aristocrat CEO Jamie Odell has been the central figure in establishing Light & Wonder as a true force in the global gaming market since it demerged from the lottery and sports betting businesses it shared under the group’s previous identity, Scientific Games. That move helped solve some hefty debt issues and allowed Light & Wonder to focus on its three core pillars – a fourth was added this year – in Gaming, iGaming and Social Gaming. Odell’s big achievement of 2025 has been to pursue a delisting of the company from the NASDAQ, replaced by a sole listing on the Australian Securities Exchange – a move aimed at tapping Australia’s hefty investor base.
Having stepped into the fire when appointed CEO of New Zealand’s SkyCity in mid-2024, this year has been one of steadying the ship for former Aristocrat and Light & Wonder executive Jason Walbridge. There have, however, been steps forward: the company was in August found suitable to retain its Adelaide casino license and more recently completed the rollout of mandatory carded play across its New Zealand casinos – another regulatory tick. Now to focus on the finances. SkyCity crept back into the black in FY25 but recently announced a series of balance sheet initiatives, including a US$140 million equity raising, aimed at boosting liquidity and reducing leverage.
Grand Korea Leisure (GKL), the partially state-owned foreigner-only casino operator with casinos in Seoul and Busan, announced in November 2024 the appointment of former journalist and politician Yoon Doo-hyun as its new President, for a term of three years. Under South Korea’s Act on the Management of Public Institutions, the heads of public corporations are appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Yoon previously served as Senior Secretary for Public Relations for the Office of the President from 2014 to 2015 and was a member of the 21st National Assembly from 2020 to 2024. He also arrived at a good time – Korea’s foreigner-only casino market has been riding a high tide in 2025 and GKL is no exception.
