OLYMPICS DUSTED, NEXT EVENT PLEASE

With major sporting events set to resume their Autumn schedules and fresh off the back of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, our focus section in this September edition of Asia Gaming Briefings is on the sports betting world.

In our first article in this section, we examine how the heavy expense of the games, coupled with the ongoing Covid drag on the economy and the coffers of the country’s sports clubs may be the catalyst that pushes the government to expand legalized sports betting earlier than anticipated.

Our second piece looks at the Olympics-effect on sports betting. Despite the global audience figures, the games fail to generate anywhere near as much in betting volumes as some other major competitions. We look at why this is the case and what was new in Tokyo 2020.

Another of our articles in this section examines the impact of drones on live streaming of horse racing in the U.K. Their use has become widespread and is being increasingly viewed as a problem for sports integrity and illegal gambling.

Lastly, Purbrick & Associates puts esports under the spotlight. The article looks at the potential for future growth and what’s likely to drive expansion in the market, in particular in Asia.

In these pages of AGBriefings Jurisdiction Updates you’ll find the most relevant developments within the Asian markets.

Starting with Singapore, the city state is blazing the opening trail by learning how to live with Covid. As Singapore rapidly approaches herd immunity, it has become the first nation in Asia to look towards reopening, shifting a change in approach that may serve as a role model for others to follow.

Over to the Philippines: After a slow start, the country’s domestic online gaming industry (PIGOS) is beginning to gain momentum, helping to pad PAGCOR’s Covid-depleted coffers. Perhaps unsurprisingly, eSabong has generated significant interest.

n Japan, efforts to establish an IR industry face rising uncertainty as politics derail one candidate city - Yokohama - and another’s selection procedures - Nagasaki - are called into question.

Down under, the Crown affair is likely to trigger further regulatory reform with manufacturers required to make changes to the products that they offer in Australia as a result of recent royal commissions inquiries.

In this edition of the Supplier Special Report we press the question everyone is asking: “Are you going?” As in-person events begin to ramp up again, suppliers are making some difficult choices about whether or not to attend and who to send. Nearly all of the manufacturers and suppliers AGB polled for this September Report expressed a strong desire to attend events in person. Most are suffering from Zoom fatigue and after 18 months of teleconferencing have realized that digital formats don’t make up for social interaction.

However, in the post-pandemic world it’s not so easy. For colleagues in Asia, travel is still highly prohibitive.

There are few flights and for many, stringent quarantine requirements are in place on return. Executives need to ask whether it’s worth spending 14 days or more in isolation for the sake of a three-day event. Costs were also cited as an issue when determining what events to attend and where.

Likewise how many people and who to send. Some said the decision is likely to be very much last minute.

Browse through to find out who you might get to see at your next gaming event.

From all of us here at AGB, we do hope to see you soon!

In the meantime, stay/ travel safe!

Happy reading.

On behalf of Asia Gaming Brief

Rosalind Wade & Luis Pereira

CO-FOUNDERS