Inside Asian Gaming

inside asian gaming June 2016 30 The Macau Gaming Information Association is invigorating junket efforts for a deadbeat borrower blacklist. By Muhammad Cohen Red is the new black B ad times are bringing Macau’s junket promoters closer together and closer to realizing their longstanding goal of a blacklist for debtors, based on a shared credit database, to prevent junkets from granting credit to players that are already failing to pay up. Along with falling VIP revenue – down 19% in the first quarter after declines of 40% last year and 11% in 2014 – debt collection is a major challenge facing the junket sector, with outstanding credit to players estimated to be around HK$60 billion (US$7.7 billion), roughly equivalent to Macau junket promoters’ revenue from gaming last year. The Macau Gaming Information Association (MGIA), which launched on 1 February and held an introductory event at last month’s G2E Asia in Macau, is spearheading efforts to create the database, alongside Macau’s Gaming Information and Coordination Bureau (DICJ), junket trade group Macau Gaming and Entertainment Promoters Association (AMJEM) and individual junket operators. Focused on Macau junkets but open to all gaming stakeholders, the MGIA is chaired by Charlie Choi and aims to help connect junkets with destinations beyond Macau. It has also launched a phone app that allows members to share industry news. “We provide a platform for healthy and transparent exchange Features Muhammad Cohen also blogs for Forbes on gaming throughout Asia and wrote Hong Kong On Air , a novel set during the 1997 handover about TV news, love, betrayal, high finance and cheap lingerie. Tim Shepherd of Silver Heritage signed a cooperation agreement with the MGIA’s Charlie Choi at G2E Asia last month