Inside Asian Gaming

INSIDE ASIAN GAMING | November 2009 S uncity Group—a VIP gaming club promoter and entertainment venue operator in Macau and Korea—has opened a new poker room in Galaxy’s StarWorld Hotel & Casino on the Macau peninsula. The decision represents a vote of confidence by Suncity and Hong Kong- listed Galaxy Entertaiment Group in poker as a business in famously baccarat- focused Macau. AsianLogic—a leading provider of online and interactive gambling services in the Asia Pacific region and named Asian Operator of the Year at the eGaming Review Industry Awards 2008 in London—recently ended its stint as the resident poker room operator at StarWorld. AsianLogic continues to promote its online poker business and the land based Asian Poker Tour (APT) with its own sponsored group of prominent players who attend major poker events. The players, marketed collectively as The Poker Pack, are helping to develop poker in Asia. Pack members include two of the most successful tournament players of all time, JC Tran and Nam Le (19th and 32nd respectively in the All Time Money List) and World Series of Poker (WSOP) 2008 seventh-place finisher and 2008 Bellagio 5 Diamond Winner, David ‘Chino’ Rheem. Poker-the movie Members of The Poker Pack took part in a charity event to mark the opening of Suncity’s room. The room is branded ‘ Poker King Club’ to tie in with the newly released Hong Kong movie Poker King . Part of the film was actually shot at StarWorld, using the APT Macau event at the property in August as a backdrop for some scenes. Chino Rheem, Nam Le and poker legend and 10-time WSOP bracelet winner Johnny Chan, play cameos in the movie. The Poker King Movie Charity Poker Tournament held to launch Suncity’s new poker room featured personal appearances by some of the production’s lead actors, including Sean Lau Ching Wan and Louis Koo. The event raised MOP200,000 (US$25,000) for The Scout Association of Macau. The Cantonese-language comedy film was produced by China Star Entertainment Group and directed by Chan Hing Kar. Another of the stars of the film is Josie Ho Winning Hand Macau VIP club operator opens a new poker venture StarWorld Hotel & Casino lobby Scenes from the Hong Kong movie Poker King 16