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Luxury & Gaming

Luxury & Gaming
News about the luxury and gaming sectors with a focus on developments in Hong Kong, Macau and China.
Security officers stand guard outside a closed Pogo compound in Cavite province, the Philippines, in 2024. Photo: EPA-EFE
The Philippines

How the Philippines missed a US$3.8 billion Korean gambling racket

Recent arrests expose a long-running crime network that flourished in the shadow of the nation’s Pogo scandal.

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China consumption

From taboo to trendy: China’s second-hand luxury market cashes in on resale boom

Luxury brands

4 luxury game sets that are so stylish, they double as home decor

Macau

Tycoon Lawrence Ho’s family office opens world’s first resort hospital in Macau

The hospital, which offers health screening, diagnostic imaging and longevity treatments, will help boost gaming hub’s medical tourism bid.

The integrated resort hospital is housed in Macau’s Studio City. Photo: Handout
Hong Kong property

More affluent buyers to snap up luxury Hong Kong homes amid strong stock market

‘The pick up in transaction volumes is giving buyers confidence that market prices will go up,’ Habitat Property’s Victoria Allan says.

Hong Kong Jockey Club

Jockey Club’s approach to responsible gaming again considered best in Asia

HKJC achieves Level 4 accreditation from the World Lottery Association for the fifth time in a row.

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India

‘Families are breaking’: India bans real-money online gaming to fight addiction

India’s online gaming industry is reeling from a ban meant to curb addiction and suicides. Critics warn it could drive gambling underground.

A bookmaker counts money at an archery club in Shillong, India, where men gamble on a game known simply as “shoot arrow”. Photo: AFP
The Philippines

‘Silent epidemic’: how online gambling is ravaging Filipinos’ lives

As addiction to online gambling grows, rehabilitation groups in the Philippines are urging the government to act – before it’s too late.

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Macau

Macau luxury property The 13 Hotel sells for HK$600 million to a local buyer

The sale to an unidentified buyer in Macau marks the city’s first hotel-related property transaction since the fourth quarter of 2017.

Indonesia

Is Indonesia ready to roll the dice on casinos at the risk of social costs?

An Indonesian lawmaker has asked Jakarta to consider following the UAE in allowing casino gambling, saying the idea is ‘out of the box’.

A lawmaker in Indonesia has proposed that casinos be legalised in the country. Photo: Shutterstock
Macau

Macau’s closure of satellite casinos to favour licensed resort operators

SJM Holdings, which has nine of the 11 satellite casinos to be shut, was seen as the biggest winner, with its stock jumping 6.3 per cent in Hong Kong.

A street scene in Macau. Photo: Eugene Lee
China property

The future of retirement for wealthy Hongkongers could be this Zhuhai community

HN Group’s Serensia Woods, a 135,000-square-metre retirement community, is catering to Hong Kong’s ageing population with flats starting at HK$10 million.

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Macau

Macau’s Galaxy boss: open Hengqin Island to address hotel shortage

Development of the island, which is three times Macau’s size, would boost the economy and its diversification, Francis Lui Yiu-tung says.

Art Basel

Macau’s Poly MGM Museum draws 500,000 punters with hi-tech historical displays

Fusing ancient artefacts with cutting-edge technology, Macau’s new Poly MGM Museum is drawing huge crowds eager for an immersive historical experience.

Fusing ancient artefacts with cutting-edge technology, Macau’s new Poly MGM Museum is drawing huge crowds eager for an immersive historical experience. Photo: Handout
Hong Kong property

Hong Kong’s Tsim Sha Tsui is the world’s most expensive luxury shopping district

Prime retail rent in TST, as the area is called, was £17,132 (US$22,976) per square metre per annum in the fourth quarter, according to Savills’ report.

Shoppers queued up at the Louis Vuitton store on Canton Road in Hong Kong’s Tsim Sha Tsui district in Kowloon on 2 January 2025. Photo: Jelly Tse
Greater Bay Area

Macau’s most opulent lodging, The 13 Hotel and Casino, up for sale again

The 22-storey luxury property in Macau’s Coloane district was estimated last year to be worth US$309 million.

Art Basel

How Macau’s government and casino operators are betting on culture

The 2025 Culture City of East Asia is hoping visitors will buy into its transformation to a hub for art installations and concerts.

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Mainland China

Hong Kong still among world’s top wealth hubs, according to Knight Frank report

There were an estimated 42,715 high-net-worth individuals in Hong Kong last year, making up around 0.6 per cent of the city’s population.

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A view of Kowloon, looking across Victoria Harbour. Photo: Elson Li
Thailand

Thailand eyes US$1.5 million minimum for local casino gamblers

The requirement would effectively block large swathes of the population – creating what one gaming analyst called a ‘foreigner-only regime’.

Macau

Exclusive | New Galaxy Macau chairman builds constellation of 5-star hotels

Francis Lui adds the opulent Capella hotel to the second-largest casino and resort operator’s growing universe of lodgings and attractions.

Thailand

Thailand’s plan to legalise casinos opposed by most citizens: poll

Many Thais also objected to the government’s plan to legalise online gambling, according to the poll by Nida.

Thailand is pushing ahead with its casino plans. Photo: Kevin Wong
Thailand

Thailand is pushing ahead with its grand casino plans – and Thaksin’s all for it

Thailand’s cabinet has approved a draft law to legalise casinos. The Thai PM’s father says gambling could net billions in tax revenue.

Image: Kevin Wong
The Philippines

Why closing Pogos won’t solve the Philippines’ China problems

The battle against corruption, crime and Chinese interference that offshore gaming operators represented is far from over, experts say.

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Retailing

Over half of mainland Chinese luxury consumers plan to increase spending: report

Report says 56 per cent of mainland Chinese luxury consumers plan to increase their purchases from domestic brands.

Hong Kong property

Art houses Christie’s, Sotheby’s show off flashy new Hong Kong showrooms

The auction houses’ glammed up spaces are a reflection of their desire to change the way they conduct business.

A view of Sotheby’s new space in Hong Kong. Photo: Facebook
Singapore

‘Unsatisfactory’: Singapore curtails Resorts World Sentosa’s casino licence

The city state’s Gambling Regulatory Authority said the casino had areas that ‘require rectification and substantial improvement’.

Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore. Photo: Roy Issa
Hong Kong property

Omega leases another Hong Kong shop amid retail leasing pickup

Swiss luxury watchmaker Omega is leasing another shop on Russell Street, once the world’s priciest retail strip, for US$51,404 a month.

Singapore

Singapore gives go ahead for cashless gambling at its casinos

Cashless betting will allow players at gaming tables and machines to use virtual credits, but not cryptocurrencies, from e-wallets.

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