Inside Asian Gaming

IAG NOV 2022年11月 亞博匯 128 ONES TO WATCH Chief Executive Officer Hard Rock Asia COO and Executive Vice President Lotte Tour Development Owner Oriential Group 營運總監兼執行副總裁 樂天觀光開發公司 行政總裁 Hard Rock Asia 擁有人 東方集團 ED TRACY LAWRENCE TEO KIM WONG Lawrence Teo Ed Tracy 王金鋅 THE FORMER Sands China CEO and President became Hard Rock International’s CEO of Asia in 2017, tasked with expanding the company’s regional portfolio including the No.1 target of Japan. That opportunity looks lost for now with Japan’s IR plans in turmoil, although Hard Rock has maintained its interest in the hope that the industry might gain a second wind in the years ahead. The company was previously focused on Hokkaido, and word on the street has it that hope of such a revival remain very much on the cards. A FORMER EXECUTIVE with Melco Resorts during its Melco-Crown days, where he oversaw Altira Macau, Lawrence Teo has been charged with bringing much-needed gaming experience to South Korea’s Lotte Tour Development. His focus since arriving has been Jeju Dream Tower, a US$1.4 billion development that held a soft opening in December 2020 and added a new casino in June 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic has made the early going tough work, although Jeju Dream Tower promises to become quite the attraction as international tourists return. THE CHINESE-FILIPINO MOGUL has his stamp all over the Philippine gaming industry, particularly in junket operations at the Midas casino and counting offshore-facing online operators such as Oriental Game among his Eastern Hawaii group of companies. Testament to his influence is his avoidance of serious fallout from Chinese media scrutiny of Oriental Game’s operations, and from the Bangladesh central bank e-heist at the New York Federal Reserve. Some US$81 million was channeled to VIP rooms in Manila, including Wong’s. He later returned millions to the government, staring down probes by the Senate and the AML council. 在新濠 還是與皇冠合作的時期，Law- rence Teo曾經是新濠的高層，主要負 責澳門新濠鋒，因此當他加盟韓國的樂 天觀光開發公司時，他被寄予厚望為樂 天帶來其十分需要的博彩業經驗。自加 入後，他專注於價值14億美元的項目 濟州天城，該項目於2020年12月開始 試運，並在2021年6月增加了一個新賭 場。新冠肺炎疫情令該項目在初期遇上 困難，但隨著國際旅客的回歸，濟州天 城有望成為吸引訪客的目的地。 這位 金沙中國前總裁及行政總裁，於 2017年成為Hard Rock International亞 洲業務的行政總裁，負責Hard Rock的 區域擴展計劃，首要目標是日本市場。 但鑑於日本的IR計劃陷入混亂，Hard Rock目前看似已失去機會，但該企持 續關注該市場，並希望行業在未來幾年 可再次乘風破浪。該公司此前專注於日 本北海道，有消息指北海道或許會重燃 有關計劃。 這位 菲律賓華裔大亨足跡遍佈菲律賓博 彩業，特別是在Midas賭場的中介人業 務和面向海外的網上營運商，例如其企 業東方夏威夷旗下的Oriental Game。 他成功避開了中國傳媒對於Oriental Game的批判，以及一宗牽涉孟加拉中 央銀行遭黑客入侵的事件影響，這印證 出王金鋅的影響力。在孟加拉中央銀行 一案中，該行於紐約聯邦儲備銀行開設 賬戶，遭黑客入侵後，有約8100萬美 元流入了在馬尼拉的多家貴賓廳，包括 王金鋅的貴賓廳。他之後把數百萬元交 還政府，並壓下了參議院和反洗黑錢委 員會的調查。