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Casino operator not liable for junket deposit loss if not gaming related, court rules (JUNKET)

 aug26 12 Aug 2026 Casino operator not liable for junket deposit loss if not gaming related, court rules By Aries Un An unnamed individual now faces the prospect of losing over HK$43.8 million (MOP45.15 million / US$5.58 million) after allegedly treating a Macau casino as an investment bank. According to a Monday verdict from the city’s top court, the plaintiff was enticed by a generous package of perks offered by a manager of a junket business to deposit money with his company. The benefits included free transport, accommodation, meals, and a monthly interest rate of 1.2 percent. In July 2014, the complainant issued a cheque with a face value of HK$10 million, which was subsequently cashed by the casino operator in return for gambling chips. Further deposits were made at least three times, in September and December 2014, and April 2015, with these three payments totalling HK$30 million. The plaintiff expected monthly returns at a rate of 1.2 percent, fully aware that the money wou...
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Deputado aponta para concorrência “desleal” entre ‘junkets’ e casinos (JUNKETS)

 ago26 A legislação que regula a actividade dos promotores de jogo e a exploração directa das salas VIP por parte das operadoras de jogo deve ser revista, no entender de Chan Hao Weng. O deputado considera que as actuais regras são injustas para os ‘junkets’ e que estes se encontram numa “situação de concorrência desleal” com as concessionárias , uma vez que estão limitados a uma comissão fixa e a um regime de exclusividade com uma única operadora   PEDRO MILHEIRÃO Chan Hao Weng acredita que existe uma “situação de concorrência desleal” no sector do jogo, entre as concessionárias de jogo e os ‘junkets’. Com o objectivo de alargar as suas fontes de clientes, as operadoras “criaram salas VIP na sua directa dependência”, o que ameaça a “sobrevivência dos promotores tradicionais”, segundo o deputado. Numa interpelação escrita, Chan instou o Governo a “avaliar os impactos reais que o modelo de exploração directa das salas VIP das concessionárias do jogo pode acarretar aos promotore...
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Macao special administrative region (SAR) and Singapore remain the region's most attractive markets for brick-and-mortar casinos because of their stable regulatory frameworks, high barriers to entry, and appeal among premium players.

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 jul26 https://www.spglobal.com/ratings/en/regulatory/article/asia-pacific-gaming-policy-risks-could-widen-credit-quality-gaps-s101697453
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How Culture Affects Asia-Pacific Gaming

  Unlike their Western counterparts, many Asian policymakers place greater emphasis on the perceived social costs of gambling. According to a 2025 Pew Research Center survey, roughly 70% adults in Indonesia, India, and South Korea view gambling as immoral, placing these nations among the top five globally. In contrast, only about 30% of adults in the U.S. or Australia hold similar views. This social stigma acts as a political lever. When rapid industry growth triggers public outcry, legislators often respond with high-impact policy U-turns to maintain social order. The Philippines is a case in point. Twenty-fold growth in online gaming between 2022 and 2025 ignited concerns over addiction, prompting sudden restrictions on e-wallet linkages in August 2025. Such shifts can cause severe revenue erosion, as seen with the dominant operator Digiplus Interactive Corp. Political risks also affect project development. For example, shifting political coalitions and public backlash led to the...
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CRIME: Some Cotai casino security staff allegedly made US$166k ‘catching’ crime suspects then pledging them protection from police

 jul26 Macau’s Judiciary Police announced on Thursday the uncovering of an alleged crime operation led by security personnel from a Cotai casino, said to have profited from detecting wrongdoers on the premises and then offering not to report them to the police if those suspects paid up in cash. The security staffers at the Cotai casino – which wasn’t named in a police media briefing as reported by local Chinese-language media outlets – were allegedly helped by a number of “intermediaries”. Since March 2025, the security people – said to include a security manager and some security guards – in collaboration with the go-betweens, purportedly gained at least HKD1.4 million (US$165,716) illicitly, by charging so-called “protection fees” from at least 30 individuals. The latter were identified as people themselves likely to have committed various offences inside the casino in question. The security workers offered to cover up those matters from the city’s authorities, in exchange for th...
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Expert: Macau-based lawyer Sofia Linhares.

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 jul26 The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is building its casino market around regulation, tourism integration and controlled access rather than broad gaming expansion, according to Macau-based lawyer Sofia Linhares . Sofia Linhares Speaking to AGB, Linhares said the UAE was taking a different approach from traditional gaming jurisdictions by establishing its regulatory framework before the industry reaches maturity. The country, which historically maintained a strict prohibition on gambling, is now developing a regulated commercial gaming sector under the oversight of the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority ( GCGRA ). The launch of Wynn Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah, expected to become the UAE’s first casino resort, will provide an early test of whether gaming can be integrated into the country’s wider tourism and economic diversification strategy. https://agbrief.com/intel/deep-dive/20/07/2026/uae-aims-to-build-regulated-gaming-market-centred-on-tourism-lawyer/?utm_so...
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A permanente esquizofrenia de uma cidade de Jogo que está sempre preocupada em provar que não é isso, tem de ser resolvida.

 jul26 A competição entre as cidades da Grande Baía é cada vez mais evidente; e, por maior que seja o potencial da complementaridade, vista a partir de Pequim, ela será naturalmente construída a partir dos interesses concorrentes em cada uma das nove cidades e duas regiões especiais que compõem uma região económica especial com mais de 80 milhões de consumidores e 14 por cento do PIB da China. Macau tem rapidamente de perceber isso, se não quer ser engolida por uma realidade que a ultrapassa. A rápida expansão de resorts integrados “diluiu o toque local” da cidade, comenta o ex--secretário das Finanças de Hong Kong, John Tsang, numa publicação no Facebook. Tsang, governante que mais tempo ocupou aquele cargo, considera que a escala e a opulência dos novos resorts integrados em Macau rivalizam com os mais relevantes polos de luxo no mundo. Contudo, não lhe dá valor: “Fui a Macau há alguns dias; não ia lá há muitos anos […] Não entendo nada de jogos de azar; e, além disso, não tenho ...
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