Inside Asian Gaming

44 INSIDE ASIAN GAMING | July 2013 INTERNATIONAL BRIEFS Lawrence Ho Planning Casino in Russia Lawrence Ho is striking out on his own, pursuing a casino deal in Vladivostok. The co-chairman of Macau’s Melco Crown Entertainment has signed an agreement to develop a property in Russia’s designated Far East casino zone, known as Primorye, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal . Mr Ho’s is the first big name associated with the zone, one of four the government has set aside for casino development after the industry in 2009 was banned from Moscow, St. Petersburg and other major cities where it was flourishing virtually unregulated and only lightly taxed. The other zones, all relatively remote, are Kaliningrad in Eastern Europe, the Altai region in Central Asia and in the lower Don River region near the Black Sea. Mr Ho’s investment is being made through a Hong Kong-listed entity called Summit Ascent Holdings, one of five bidders the Primorye government has selected to present casino proposals. It is not known how many will be selected or when, according to the Journal . The Russian zones have yet to strike a chord with investors, so to encourage development Primorye is offering low capital minimums and tax breaks resulting in an effective levy on gambling revenue of zero. No details were available on Summit’s project except that plans call for it to open in the second half of 2014 at a site about seven miles from Vladivostok airport. The attraction of Primorye is its relative proximity to northeast China, the Koreas and Japan. Beijing is about two and a half hours from Vladivostok by air, Harbin less than two hours. Casinos are prohibited in both China and Japan. South Koreans are permitted to gamble in only one casino in their country. US Coast Guard to Genting: Not so Fast Genting has expanded its presence in North America with the opening of a casino in the Bahamas, but a key element of the strategy— a cruise ship for whisking US players to the new luxury resort—has hit rough waters. The 32,000-ton Bimini SuperFast, replete with roulette and blackjack tables, slot machines, a restaurant and a nightclub, is being held in Miami by the US Coast Guard after failing a safety inspection. The 11-year-old vessel, built in Germany and originally certified in Panama, was plying the Greek islands before its arrival in American waters, but it has foundered on the Coast Guard’s more stringent requirements. A Coast Guard spokeswoman said the crew was cited for “overall lack of proficiency” in a lifeboat drill, and an inspection turned up malfunctions in the mechanism that lowers the lifeboats and in emergency sources of power. “The Coast Guard has provided the owners of the ferry with a list of discrepancies and will be re-evaluating both the vessel and the crew when repairs and training are complete,” she said. Despite the setback, the SuperFast held its launch party last month, attended by a reported 600 guests that included Genting executives, Bahamian dignitaries and officials with the local Miami- Dade County government. The vessel, which travels at up to 30 knots and is slated for two trips a day between the Port of Miami and Resorts World Bimini, is integral to Genting’s Bahamas strategy. The company has committed US$11 million for improvements to a Miami marine terminal to handle it and will pay the port $7 million a year in rent. “The whole Resorts World Bimini experience is extended to the Bimini SuperFast,” Genting Group Chairman Lim Kok Thay recently told Malaysia’s English-language Sun Daily . “It’s a double enjoyment experience. This new resort will attract many new visitors from the US and other countries.” Resorts World Bimini opened on 28th June as a joint venture between Genting’s listed Genting Malaysia subsidiary and RAV Bahamas, the developer of the 750-acre complex, which features luxury villas, shopping and dining, a marina and other attractions. The 10,000-square-foot casino contains 15 table games and 153 slot machines. Gambling in UK Surpasses $9B Gambling in the United Kingdom generated an increase in gross revenues of 5% in the last financial year to US$9.48 billion. The latest figures from the Gambling Commission, covering the 12 months between October 2011 and September 2012, show all sectors—betting, casinos, lotteries, remote and bingo— experiencing growth with the exception of arcades. Betting continued as the country’s largest market, good for 50% of all revenues. Casinos accounted for 15%, remote gambling 13% and bingo 12%. Fixed-odds machine games mimicking roulette, blackjack and other casino games remained the biggest driver of betting shop revenues, generating $2.2 billion, an increase of 4.5% year on year. Remote gambling also exhibited healthy growth, up $129 million (12%) to $1.2 billion. US Waives More Visas Applicants for visas to visit the United States are seeing wait times improve dramatically, and more countries are being added to the government’s visa waiver list. A few years ago, waiting for an interview appointment to apply for a visa could take up to 120 days. By increasing staffing in many of the areas most affected, including China and Brazil, many of those waits have been cut significantly, the government says. In Bangkok, citizens can get an interview in 15 days. From Amsterdam, it’s 23 days. Buenos Aires residents only have to wait two days. “Facilitating travel to the United States from legitimate visitors is one of our highest priorities,” said Ed Ramotowski, deputy assistant secretary of the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs. The international travel industry generates more than US$168 Lawrence Ho