Inside Asian Gaming

september 2016 inside asian gaming 47 Asian Gaming POWER 50 2 0 1 6 Sinceshewas appointed as the newheadof the PhilippineAmusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) by President-elect Rodrigo Duterte in May, Andrea Domingo has barely been out of the news. Domingo replaced Cristino Naguiat in the position, the outgoing Pagcor boss having made considerable progress in improving the Philippines gaming industry’s reputation as well as overseeing the launch of the first two IR’s in Manila’s Entertainment City precinct, Solaire and City of Dreams Manila. But any hopes of a similarly smooth run have already been quashed. While Naguiat did a respectable job of juggling Pagcor’s duel role as both a regulator and an operator, one of Domingo’s first jobs When it comes the world’s gaming melting pots, India is about as unique as they come. Gambling is, for the most part, a heavily restricted industry with casinos allowed in only three of the nation’s 36 states and unions and most only allowed to provide machine-style gaming with no live tables. Yet those restrictions seem largely redundant when you consider that India is home to one of the biggest, and most famous, illegal gambling markets in the world. According to the International Centre for Sports Security, based in Doha, illegal sports betting in India is worth a massive US$150 billion a year with most of that money bet on the national sport of cricket. It suggests a huge gaming market waiting to be tapped should the powers that be start liberalizing the industry – and if it does indeed happen, Jaydev Mody will be ready to pounce. Mody is Chairman of Delta Corp, India’s only publicly traded gaming firm, which operates two casino cruise ships in Goa and has been making steady progress in establishing its land-based presence as well. will be to arrange the sale of the 11 casinos and two dozen smaller gaming venues Pagcor runs across the nation. It is one of a number of controversial measures ordered by the famously anti-gambling President, with Pagcor’s regulatory arm having previously revoked the licenses of around 200 online gaming companies as well as refusing to renew PhilWeb’s license to provide software to 256 e-Games outlets. It’s worth noting that in compiling the Asian Gaming Power 50, IAG included Domingo purely in respect to the operational side of Pagcor’s duties – so if the sale of Pagcor properties proceeds this will almost certainly be her one and only appearance. Jaydev Mody CHAIRMAN Delta Corp Power 569 last 50 Score year Claims to fame On verge of owning small casinos in the only three Indian states to allow them Perfectly positioned should Indian casino industry be given the green light 46 Last December, Delta was awarded a casino license for its Delta Suites Hotel in Goa. In June this year it was given permission to run Sikkim’s first casino in partnership with the Hotel WelcomHeritage Denzong Regency. And rumor has it Delta’s Deltin Daman Hotel will be granted a license soon too – meaning Mody would own properties in all three states to allow any form of casino gaming. With India’s casino market currently valued at around US$80 million a year, it’s not a huge money spinner just yet, but it’s a start.