Inside Asian Gaming

INSIDE ASIAN GAMING | September 2010 60 Briefs Regional Briefs India looks to legalise sports betting after match-fixing scandal The Indian government is considering a move to legalise sports betting in thewake of the spot‑fixing furore that has thrownPakistan’s tour of England into disarray, according to a report in the Guardian newspaper. With illegal bookmakers in India believed to be involved in the vast majority of spot-fixing incidents, the move is seen as an important staging post in the fight to clean up cricket. A sports ministry source in India has said that the government is planning to re-examine the contentious issue, hard on the heels of a recommendation from a trial court in New Delhi. “The aim is to ascertain whether legalised betting can exist in India without the stigma that is attached to it now,” a sports ministry source told the Times of India . “So we are looking at the pros and cons with great care. The UK model [The Gambling Act of 2005] seems rather comprehensive. We are keen on the legislation as soon as possible. At the same time it cannot be hurried through because we need to convince all about the need to legalise betting.” India’s illegal gambling rackets, once dominated by the Mumbai underworld, have spread their tentacles in recent years: some of the biggest players these days can be found in small-town India. Last month, the Times of India featured an interview with Ramesh bhai, a bookmaker based in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. While he claimed to have no involvement in spot-fixing, his associates estimate his fortune is worth around US$2 billion. Most bookies operate fromnondescript areas of towns and cities, like the old market in Jaipur. Odds are fixed by the top bookie and change according to the match situation. Most deals are done by mobile phone; conversations can sometimes be taped to make sure that someone pays up. The internet is also being increasingly used. During the last Indian Premier League season, each match attracted bets in excess of US$150 million. With many bookies having links to organised crime and syndicates in other countries, the police fight a losing battle. “How much can we do?” asks a senior police officer who has investigated the networks for a long time.“The maximum punishment under Indian law is a 250 Rupee fine or three months in jail.” Such a government move will be next to impossible in Pakistan, given that gambling like the consumption of alcohol, is forbidden under Islamic law. There’s also no guarantee that India’s established betting syndicates would have any interest in going legit and sharing profits with the government. GEG reports record first half results Galaxy Entertainment Group (GEG) reported record unaudited results for the three and six month period ended 30th June 2010. Dr Lui Che Woo, Chairman of GEG, said: “Once again GEG outperformed the market, with excellent gaming growth and strong results from all our divisions. StarWorld continues to lead the market, delivering exceptional returns and achieving some of the highest volumes of any casino in Macau. StarWorld also boasts one of the highest hotel occupancy rates in Macau, recording a very healthy 96% in the second quarter of the year.” “In Cotai, we are entering the final fit-out stages, in preparation for the opening of Galaxy Macau. In early 2011 we will be unveiling the most innovative and uniquely Asian destination resort in the Macau casino revenue up 40% in August Macau’s gross casino revenue rose 40% year-on-year in August, as growth slowed from the heady pace set in the first seven months of the year—which were partly exaggerated by a lower base, with revenue in the corresponding period last year held back by the global economic downturn and visa restrictions onmainland Chinese gamblers wishing to travel to Macau. In July, revenue had risen 70% year-on-year. Dow Jones Newswires quoted CLSA analysts Huei Suen Ng and Aaron Fischer as saying they expect revenue to rise 34% in the second half from a year earlier, slowing from the first half’s 67%, rise but remaining strong in absolute terms. August revenue totaled 15.8 billion patacas (US$1.97 billion), nearly flat from July’s 16.3 billion patacas, but considerably higher than 11.3 billion patacas in the same month last year, according to datafromMacau’sGamingInspectionandCoordinationBureau(DICJ). August’s revenue figure is the third highest so far this year, after May’s record 17.1 billion patacas and July’s total. Revenue in September is generally expected to be softer than in August, as mainland Chinese visitors tend to delay their travel plans ahead of the Golden Week holidays in October to mark China’s National Day. Among Macau’s six casino license-holders, SJM maintained its lead with a 29% share of total revenue, followed by Sands China Ltd, with 20%. SJM had lost three percentage points in share from July, while Sands gained one. Melco Crown Entertainment gained two percentage points to 17% in August, jumping from fourth to third place, and overtakingWynn Macau Ltd, which saw a one percentage point decline to 14%. Galaxy Entertainment Group saw its market share rise from 12% in July to 13% in August, while MGM Macau’s share rose from 7% to 8%. Melco Crown Entertainment, operator of City of Dreams (pictured here), overtook Wynn Macau in terms of market share in August