Development

Cambodia Rising

Posted on September 16, 2018

Major casino operators have long perceived Cambodia as a tertiary gaming market – a collective mix of border casinos that catered to residents of adjacent countries seeking a convenient place to gamble. The absence of robust gaming regulations further discouraged larger operators from considering acquisitions or developments in the Kingdom. That perception is changing.

Anticipated changes in the regulatory environment coupled with dramatic growth in casino markets throughout the country has caused casino developers to take a closer look at Cambodia.

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Sleeping Giant: Brazil is one of the few strong opportunities for IR development

Posted on July 16, 2018

While most of the gaming world is focused on Japan as the next emerging market, a battle continues south of the Equator to legalize gaming in Brazil. This untapped market could serve as the cornerstone for gaming development in the region if it were to become a fully regulated market. With the world’s fifth largest population, Brazil serves as one of the few strong opportunities left as an emerging jurisdiction for integrated resorts.

Brazil is one of the few large countries that does not have legalized gaming, and local stakeholders have come to believe that it puts them at a disadvantage to compete as a tourism destination at the international level. Like many potential gaming jurisdictions, local politicians see the case for integrated resorts as a way to generate tourism and economic development.
One of the best cases of this that is still used in jurisdictions like Japan and Brazil is the growth that Singapore saw with the addition of Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa in 2010. Brazil, which is coming off of hosting the Olympics two years ago, looks to continue to build its tourism with IRs serving as a base to attract individuals to the region.

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The Quiet Casino Boomtown

Posted on May 17, 2018

As the gaming industry’s collective attention is focused on what casino development might look like in Japan, a small seaside resort town on the coast of Cambodia is quietly emerging as the
world’s fastest-growing gaming jurisdiction. The town is called Sihanoukville.

Sihanoukville is a port city and down-market vacation destination on the Gulf of Thailand in southwest Cambodia. It has long appealed to backpackers
for its pristine beaches and low-priced accommodations. It also has served as a gambling and vacation destination for Thais and Chinese.

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Home Stretch in Japan

Posted on May 16, 2018

For nearly 20 years, Japan has gone through several false starts and iterations in its attempt to legalize integrated resorts. In December 2016, Japan took its first official first step toward legalization with the passing of the IR Promotion Bill. Later this spring, Japan is poised to take the final step in this process with the introduction of two bills that will help solidify the initial act: the IR Implementation Bill and the Basics Bill on Gambling Addiction Countermeasures.

The government of Japan has been contemplating what items to include within these bills in its quest to create an environment that maximizes the potential benefit realized by the country in terms of investment and tourism as well as to attract quality operators to the market.

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Research Brief: Japan Post-Election IR Bill Update

Posted on October 24, 2017

The Japanese snap election for the lower house has concluded. The Liberal Democrat Party (LDP) and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe came out on top after a very calculated risk. The LDP
has a majority win in the House of Representatives and, in partnership with the Komeito, now have a two-thirds super majority. This will allow the ruling parties to push their agenda forward,
focusing on several key items including the reallocation of taxes, childcare, preschool education, and the initiation of constitutional revisions. This is in addition to dealing with the labor crunch and the low birthrate that affect Japan’s economy.

In addition and most importantly to the gaming and hospitality industry, it allows for the continued development of Integrated Resorts through the expected passage of the IR Implementation Bill after the passage of the Responsible Gaming Bill in the coming months to a year. IRs will infuse capital projects into the country while serving as a driver to help meet Japan’s
goal of tourism growth.

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Expanding Hospitality

Posted on August 16, 2017

In this, our second in a series of discussions about the role of non-gaming amenities in both destination and regional gaming markets, we focus on the extraordinary and ongoing evolution of hotels, and how to assess, strategize and implement change.

The “lens” we use is comprised of five attributes that, when integrated, provide operators with a framework to create a comprehensive strategy for developing a new hotel or rebranding and refurbishing an existing one: the strategic assessment lens. This approach has helped several operators create new development and rebranding strategies for successful restaurants, bars, nightlife, entertainment and retail venues, casinos and hotels.

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Changing the Face of the Industry

Posted on July 25, 2017

In this, our second in a series of discussions about the role of non-gaming amenities in both destination and regional gaming markets, we focus on the extraordinary and ongoing evolution of hotels, and how to assess, strategize and implement change.

The “lens” we use is comprised of five attributes that, when integrated, provide operators with a framework to create a comprehensive strategy for developing a new hotel or rebranding and refurbishing an existing one: the strategic assessment lens. This approach has helped several operators create new development and rebranding strategies for successful restaurants, bars, nightlife, entertainment and retail venues, casinos and hotels.

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White Paper: Japan Integrated Resorts Executive Summary

Posted on May 16, 2017

The next emerging integrated resort market is on the horizon in Japan. After years of debate, Japan is in the process of developing legislation to create the regulatory and market structure for integrated resorts (“IR”). While the debate still has several issues to work through, Japan has the potential to be one of the largest gaming markets in the world with a revenue potential of $24.2 billion, assuming fully developed IRs are introduced in six regions. Global Market Advisors (“GMA”) completed a detailed analysis that examined the current gaming market, the prospective legislation, components of the RFP process, potential sites, definition of an integrated resort, and the full market potential.

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White Paper: Japan Integrated Resorts

Posted on May 16, 2017

The next emerging integrated resort market is on the horizon in Japan. After years of debate, Japan is in the process of developing legislation to create the regulatory and market structure for integrated resorts (“IR”). While the debate still has several issues to work through, Japan has the potential to be one of the largest gaming markets in the world with a revenue potential of $24.2 billion, assuming fully developed IRs are introduced in six regions. Global Market Advisors (“GMA”) completed a detailed analysis that examined the current gaming market, the prospective legislation, components of the RFP process, potential sites, definition of an integrated resort, and the full market potential.

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White Paper: Japan Integrated Resorts (in Japanese)

Posted on May 16, 2017

統合型リゾート市場が次に新たに出現する兆しが日本でも見られる｡数年の議論を経て、日本は統合型リゾート(「IR」)についての規制構造および市場構造を作り出すための立法を開発する過程にある｡この議論にはまだ解決すべき複数の問題がある一方で、完全に開発されたIRが6つの地域で導入されたと仮定すれば､日本は242億ドルの潜在的収益を見込む世界で最大のゲーミング市場の1つになる可能性がある｡グローバル・マーケット・アドバイザーズ(「GMA」)は、現在のゲーミング市場、将来の立法、RFP(事業提案公募)過程の構成要素、潜在的用地、統合型リゾートの定義および総合的な市場可能性を考察した詳細な分析を完了した。

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