Inside Asian Gaming

inside asian gaming July 2016 4 EDITORIAL Ben Blaschke We crave your feedback. Please email your comments to [email protected] . Navigating the regulation minefield I recently read an article in The Washington Post , written by none other than renowned poker commentator Norman Chad, in which he states, “We should have the freedom to gamble more and the common sense to gamble less.” His observation got me thinking not only about the state of gaming legislation in various jurisdictions around the world but also the manner in which it is reported by certain media. Of course, I agree 100% with Chad. In a modern, civilized world the common sense approach to most recognized forms of gambling – for a multitude of reasons not only restricted to security and taxation – is to have them legalized and regulated. Likewise, it is vital that any jurisdiction in which gambling is offered puts sufficient resources towards combatting the scourge of problem gambling. But the reality is that, in many cases, it can be very difficult to have a balanced conversation. I say this having witnessed numerous examples of it in recent times. After all, not all jurisdictions are as liberal in regards to gaming as Macau (and even Macau has some progress to make in areas such as sports betting). That much is evident in countries like Japan, Thailand, India and of course mainland China where gambling is either highly restricted in nature or banned altogether. In these very pages, IAG’s Editor at Large Muhammad Cohen explores the topic of Asian casino operators investing in Europe – noting along the way that, “Despite Europe’s proliferation of betting opportunities, there’s still a cultural stigma against casinos.” This makes it difficult for them to maximize market opportunities. Elsewhere in the world, the United States is discovering just how many barriers still need to be broken down in order to expand the online poker and Daily Fantasy Sports industries. It is now five years since the US Department of Justice essentially shutdown all online poker operations across the nation yet to this day only three states have re-opened the door, having formally recognized that poker is, in fact, a game of skill. As for the nation I grew up in, Australia, the result of the recent Federal Election was far from encouraging for those desperate to see the outdated 2001 Interactive Gambling Act brought into the modern world. As it stands, the balance of power in the Australian Senate will now likely fall to a select group of independents, led by renowned anti-gambling campaigner and local media darling Nick Xenophon. Instances such as these make any meaningful discussion on gambling reform extremely difficult – a problem compounded by sections of the media either unwilling or unable to paint the gaming industry in anything but a negative light. In the end it comes down to patience. Given that gambling has been around for centuries and shows no signs of abating, time is at least one factor the gaming industry does have on its side. www.asgam.com