Inside Asian Gaming

IAG MAY 2019年5月 亞博匯 46 COLUMNISTS N early 1.2 million tourists visited Nepal in 2018, a 25% increase over the year before. Around 200,000 of those came from India, which has limited casino gambling (Goa has around 95% of the Indian casino pie) and 150,000 from Mainland China with no legalized casinos. The cross-border casino strategy to China transformed Macau into the gambling success it is today. In 1994, Macau had a similar number of Mainland Chinese visitations as Nepal now does. Macau made US$1.9 billion in GGR that year, but after liberalization of the casino industry in 2001 it quickly caught and overtook Las Vegas. So how about Nepal’s potential for further casino and integrated resort development?Sure, aquickenvironmental analysis/SWOT of the landscape can isolate major gaps in both infrastructure and the country’s casino and tourism public policy due to previous years of political instability and unrest alongside recent natural disasters. But Nepal shares key common characteristics with Macau. For starters, Nepal possesses massive land borders between India and China. These are two of the largest and fastest growing global economic powerhouses with a significant and rising level of wealth and disposable income within their populations. The Macau and Singapore casino industries have benefited greatly from the lack of casino gambling opportunities within China and India. Nepal’s turn may be just around the corner. Why do I say that? Invited by the Nepalese Government, I spoke at the Investment Summit Nepal 2019 in March, which also saw Nepalese Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, his Deputy and several top ministers give speeches. Impressive infrastructure and foreign investment plans in airports, high speed rail, road construction and tunnels were shown to me. Several tourism and integrated projects were also showcased by the government, inviting investment from the private sector. Everything from an IR hub to standalone IR developments were part of the discussions. The message was clear from the authorities that the government is now The Macau and Singapore casino industries have benefited greatly from thelackofcasinogamblingopportunities within China and India. Nepal’s turn may be just around the corner. L to R: Sangita Shrestha Einhaus, Managing Director of The Dwarika’s Group of Hotels and Resorts; Mike Bolsover, Managing Director and CEO of Silver Heritage Group; Professor Glenn McCartney; and Akihiko Hori, General Manager, Headquarter of Managerial Planning, World Air Sea Service at the recent Nepal Investment Summit. 從左至右：Sangita Shrestha Einhaus, The Dwarika’s綜合度假村酒店集團執行董事；Silver Heritage Group 行政總裁Mike Bolsover；Glenn McCartney教授；及世界航空海 洋規劃管理處總經理Akihiko Hori，日前於尼泊爾投資峰會。