Inside Asian Gaming

IAG JUN 2022年6月 亞博匯 106 10 YEARS AGO The VIP trade in Australia generated AU$24.7 billion in turnover in 2010 and was growing at double-digit rates annually. 2010年澳洲的貴賓博彩收入達到247億澳 元，並且以每年兩位數的速度增長。 A decade is a long time in the gaming industry, and there is no better example of this than events currently unfolding in Australia. In case you’ve been living under a rock these past few years, Australia’s two largest casino operators – Crown Resorts and Star Entertainment Group – are in the midst of massive upheaval following a series of explosive inquiries that has brought into question their relationship with Asian junket operators, the provision of funds to high rollers and their general risk oversight, among other issues. The fallout has not only claimed a number of high-profile scalps but put an end to Crown and Star’s junket businesses, with Star also announcing as recently as 9 May 2022 that it was suspending its international and domestic rebate programs. That’s in stark contrast to the events of 10 years ago, when the battle to lure Asian VIPs was reaching a crescendo – as described in detail in IAG ’s cover story from June 2012. Long before Crown and its major shareholder, James Packer, reached an agreement with the NSW state government to build a high-end casino (Crown Sydney) to specifically target these VIPs, the then-44-