The end of all POGOs. That’s the objective of Philippine Senator Sherwin Gatchalian. Speaking to AGB, the official says that just ending POGOs is not enough to restore the country’s reputation, also calling for a complete restructuring of the regulatory body – confining PAGCOR to only be an operator, while setting up a new regulator – the opposite of PAGCOR’s current divestment plans.

Macau’s operators continue to struggle with vastly reduced revenue and visitation levels as China pushes on with its zero-Covid policy. In today’s podcast, we speak with Morningstar analyst Jennifer Song, who has recently cut her forecasts for Macau this year. We also discuss China’s efforts to discourage its citizens from traveling overseas and the concerning reports that Beijing may be denying visas to frequent gamers to Macau.

Earlier this month, Asia Gaming Brief reached out to two skill-based slot manufacturers to understand what happened to skill-based slots after all the hype that surrounded them in 2019. In today’s Face-to-Face interview, Asia Gaming Brief editor Felix Ng further explores some of the issues raised in the article with Michael Darley, CEO of Next Gaming.

Dr. Jaeyeon Choe, a lecturer at Swansea University and expert on Korean outbound travel trends chats with Asia Gaming Brief editor Felix Ng about the South Korean outbound tourist and how they've changed post-pandemic. We also discuss top tips for catering to this tourist at your integrated resort.

Brendan Bussman, managing partner of B Global, discusses what next in Japan after only two bids were put forward for one of the three licenses on offer in what was predicted to be the golden goose for gaming in Asia. He also discusses opportunities in Thailand and the recovery around the region.

The recent lockdowns in Shanghai and Guangdong are unmistakable signs that China will not be backing down from its zero-Covid policy, at least for the rest of 2022. In Today’s Face-to-Face interview, Professor Wolfgang Arlt, Founder, and CEO of the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute (COTRI) discuss whether these lockdowns have pushed back his expected China reopening timeline. He also discusses the significance of the upcoming 20th National Congress of the Chinese Community Party in...

Simon Fraser, senior vice president of international at XB Net speaks to Asia Gaming Brief managing director about developments in India's horse racing gambling scene and wider issues in global racing.

Hai Ng, partner of Neomancer talks with Asia Gaming Brief about an emerging video game genre called "gashapon games", and how it uses a mix of RNG, great content and captivating gameplay to keep players engaged, and how we can apply this to the real money gambling space.

Experts have recently argued the importance of messaging to take the social stigma out of Responsible Gaming. We speak to Dr. Anastasia Hronis, clinical psychologist and founder of the Australian Institute for Human Wellness and an expert in mental health and addiction. We discuss where the stigma comes from, particularly amongst Asian cultures, and how operators can better deal with this on the gaming floor.

Gary Bowerman, director of Check-in Asia, talks with Asia Gaming Brief about the challenges of rebooting tourism, the potential impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and reopening without the giant China market.

Keith Whyte, Executive Director of the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) talks with Asia Gaming Brief's asia editor Felix Ng about foreigner-only casino policies and how effective they really are in tackling problem gambling amongst the domestic population.

Sudhir Kale, CEO of Gameplan Consultants sits down with Asia Gaming Brief editor Felix Ng for a fireside chat about the "Great Resignation" in the global hospitality industry. They discuss what global companies, particularly in hospitality need to keep their workers passionate and engaged.

Wolfgang D. Arlt, Founder of The Chinese Outbound Tourism Research Institute (COTRI) speaks with Asia Gaming Brief's managing editor Sharon Singleton about where Chinese tourists went to during the Golden Week holidays in 2021. He also discusses the million-dollar question - when will China reopen its borders.

Annamarie Rooding, an employment and business ethics lawyer says there is a legal minefield waiting for companies wanting to impose some form of mandatory vaccination amongst their staff. Rooding answers some of the most frequently asked questions by companies looking to protect their staff and customers against the Covid-19 virus.

Michael Maerz, deputy CEO for Asia Pacific at Sportradar, says the group has seen surging demand for virtuals as a result of the Covid pandemic and that the popularity of the vertical is likely to continue. He also speaks about the potential for regulated sports betting in Asia and the mounting excitement that Japan could be prepared to legalize, in what may lead to a chain reaction of a lifting of regulatory hurdles.

Jeffrey Williams, CEO of Barcats talks to Asia Gaming Brief's Asia editor about Australia's hospitality staff shortage crisis which has been impacting the industry since the beginning of the pandemic and in some cases, even earlier.

Bill Mummery, CEO of Celton Manx, talks with Asia Gaming Brief's managing editor, Sharon Singleton, about his new live dealer studio on the Isle of Man and the importance of diversification given the shifting sands in Asia’s online gaming industry. He also discusses sustainability and his company’s adoption of solar panel technology.

Montieth Illingworth, chief executive officer, and global managing partner at Montieth and Company catches up with Asia Gaming Brief editor Felix Ng on what companies need to be doing as the pandemic starts to move behind us. With vaccines starting to roll out globally, companies, including ones from the gaming industry are looking at reigniting their businesses. Now's not the time to cut costs, but rather, invest in growth.

Dr Mario Hardy, CEO of the Asia Pacific Travel Association (PATA) talks with Asia Gaming Brief Managing Editor Sharon Singleton about his organization’s forecasts for tourism recovery in Asia. While at present, he sees the recovery at the medium to severe level of a three-stage scenario, there are bright spots, such as domestic tourism spending in the Philippines.

Chris Rogers, who recently has started focusing his time on environmental sustainability for integrated resorts, shares his thoughts on the state of the industry, as well as some of the unfortunate outputs of the global pandemic on global landfill and waste.

Alex Czajkowski, an igaming marketing expert based in Asia, discusses the rise of live video - not just for the live dealer and proxy betting, but for unparalleled customer service.

Gary Bowerman, tourism industry analyst and director of Check-in Asia, speaks with Asia Gaming Brief managing editor Sharon Singleton about prospects for tourism recovery in 2021, how governments are seeking to boost domestic travel to plug the gaps and the challenges of getting regional airlines flying again.

Sameer Barde, chief executive officer of The Online Rummy Federation sat down with Asia Gaming Brief managing editor Sharon Singleton to discuss the outlook for his industry in India. Barde related that online rummy is growing at a remarkable pace in the subcontinent, but still faces challenges. The largest of the concerns is the movement in some high population states to try to ban online gaming, including rummy which has already been ruled legal by India’s Supreme Court as a skill game. The...

Joji Kokuryo, managing partner of Bay City Ventures, speaks with Michael Penn, the executive editor of AGB Nippon, about the candidate locations to host an IR in Japan. This includes the four confirmed candidates (Yokohama, Osaka, Nagasaki, and Wakayama), as well as several others that Kokuryo reckons could become late entries.