Inside Asian Gaming

INSIDE ASIAN GAMING JULY 2018 14 ANY ATTEMPTS BY resorts on the Chinese holiday island of Hainan to launch gambling operations would be met by an “immediate and harsh reaction from authorities” – quashing any theoretical impact on Macau’s casinos. So says Union Gaming’s Head of Asia Equity Research, Grant Govertsen, in response to a Bloomberg report claiming that up to five Hainan hotels are preparing “entertainment bars” where players can gamble real money in exchange for prizes. According to Bloomberg , the hotels are in the process of converting their ballrooms HAINAN CASINO OPERATIONS TO BE MET WITH “HARSH REACTION” FROM AUTHORITIES The gaming industry has been left reeling following the sudden passing of Foxwoods Resort Casino’s President and CEO Felix Rappaport. Foxwoods and its owners, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation (MPTN), announced Rappaport’s sudden loss in an 18 June press release, with MPTN Chairman Rodney Butler stating, “On behalf of the entire Tribal Council, Foxwoods management team and staff, we extend our deepest sympathies to Felix’s family. “With his passing, we have suffered a major loss. Felix’s passion for modernizing and growing Foxwoods, as well as his friendship, mentorship and humor, touched everyone who worked with him. We are confident that Felix’s legacy will live on as we continue to push forward on the vision he set.” It was less than two months ago that Inside Asian Gaming sat down with Rappaport at the Japan Gaming Congress in Tokyo as he expressed his excitement about Foxwoods pursuing a regional Japan gaming license. Shock at sudden death of Foxwoods boss Felix Rappaport Rappaport was respected as a highly efficient operator, having previously worked for many of the world’s largest gaming companies including Station Casinos, Hershey Entertainment and Resort Company, Mirage and Treasure Island. He also previously served as President and COO of Mirage, New York New York, Luxor and Excalibur while working for MGM Resorts International. into makeshift gaming floors where players who win at the tables will earn points that can be used like real money at local restaurants, bars and shops. “While small stakes ‘wagering’ on a small number of tables might be tolerated for a period of time in order to keep some of the resorts in the black, any small step the Hainan operators take to offer legitimate gambling will be met with an immediate and harsh reaction from the authorities,” Govertsen said. “The government has made it clear that they have no plans to allow full-fledged casino gambling in Hainan as casinos remain forbidden per the constitution. Keep in mind that as part of the anti-corruption campaign the government made it a point that officials shouldn’t even play mahjong, given its gambling characteristics. “We would take this one step further to say that the government of China will be paying close attention and will react quickly (and negatively for the hotel operators) should they begin to press their luck and do anything beyond low-stakes prize- oriented games; anything else would be in contravention of China’s constitution.”