Inside Asian Gaming

INSIDE ASIAN GAMING APRIL 2018 34 P RIOR to the current recovery of Macau’s gaming malaise, stakeholders in the Asian gaming industry often heard that China’s anti-corruption campaign, which began in the fall of 2012, was one of the primary factors attributed to the substantial decline of gross gaming revenue in Macau (as well as the surrounding regions). In contrast, there is another initiative, proposed and supported by the same regime, that appears not to have attracted as many headlines but could have meaningful Gaming development outlook along By Michael Zhu Michael Zhu , SVP of International Planning and Analysis for The Innovation Group, delves into the benefits that Chinese President Xi Jinping’s “One Belt and One Road” initiative will bring to Asia’s gaming industry. With nearly 20 years of experience in the industry, Michael Zhu joined The Innovation Group in 2014 where he applies a comprehensive analytical skill set while exploiting his unique cultural context and leveraging his in-depth development and operational experience in the related sectors. Michael is also Vice Chairman of the Macau Gaming Information Association (MGIA). implications regarding the outlook of Asian gaming development and progress. THE “ONE BELT AND ONE ROAD” INITIATIVE On 7 September 2013, during his state visit to Kazakhstan, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a speech at Nazarbayev University declaring China and the Central Asian countries should build an economic “belt” along the historical Silk Road, a trans-Eurasian project spanning from the Pacific Ocean to the Baltic Sea. About one month later, on 3 October COLUMNISTS the Belt and Road