Author - Ben Blaschke

Football Sport

Arsenal’s final 16 jinx continues

The draw for the Champions League’s Round of 16 left the three remaining English clubs with mixed feelings – but it was a case of déjà vu for perennially jinxed Arsenal. The London club again drew one of European football’s giants in...

Gaming Gaming insights

First Japan IR likely to open 2022

Japan’s first integrated resort will likely open in early 2022 following the safe passage of the country’s “IR Promotion Bill” through the upper house. Despite earlier objections by committee chairman Namba Shoji, who is a...

Gaming Gaming insights

Australian Open tennis ditches gambling ads

Tennis fans may notice a few changes at next month’s Australian Open after Tennis Australia (TA) announced it would remove all courtside advertising hoardings for online sportsbook William Hill. William Hill branding featured prominently at...

Lifestyle Travel

The Star to build luxury hotel tower

Sydney’s The Star is set to receive a spectacular new 200-metre tall hotel and residential tower after design firm FJMT’s impressive design was chosen by a special five member selection panel. “FJMT presented an elegant, international-standard...

Gaming Gaming insights

Japan casino bill no safe bet

Japan’s long mooted casino bill achieved a major milestone earlier this week when it passed the lower house – but there is still a long way to go before the gaming industry’s dream becomes reality. As reported by Japanese media...

Poker The poker industry

WSOP Sydney main event underway

The inaugural World Series of Poker (WSOP) International Circuit Sydney main event is underway, with a huge field gathering in recently launched The Star Poker room. Currently representing the WSOP’s only presence in the Asia-Pacific region...

Gaming Gaming insights

MGM Cotai to benefit Macau recovery

Macau’s recovery is well underway and will only benefit further from the opening of MGM Cotai in 2017, according to international ratings agency Fitch. In the wake of a fourth consecutive month of rising gross gaming revenue for the city in...

Gaming Gaming insights

Sony to focus more on mobile gaming

Sony is likely to push further into the world of mobile gaming in the future following the stunning success of its 2015 release Fate/Grand Order in Japan, the company has revealed. According to a report by Bloomberg, Fate/Grand Order was responsible...

Lifestyle See and do

China to build full-scale Titanic replica

China is taking its love of unique tourist attractions to new heights with the construction of the world’s first full size replica of the Titanic. Weighing 52,310 tonnes and to be moored in a reservoir in Sichuan province, the replica will not...

Gaming Gaming insights

Positive outlook for December GGR

Having celebrated a fourth consecutive month of year-on-year growth, Macau can look forward to a gross gaming revenue increase of at least 12 percent in December, according to Union Gaming analyst Grant Govertsen. Figures released late last week by...

Gaming Gaming insights

Macau GGR up 14.4% in November

Macau has enjoyed a fourth consecutive month of rising gross gaming revenue, with November up 14.4 percent year-on year to MOP$18.79 billion according to figures from the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau. It follows rises of 1.1 percent in...

Gaming Gaming insights

Caesars joins the paid parking parade

Caesars Entertainment has announced that it will follow the lead of MGM Resorts and introduce paid parking to some of its Las Vegas Strip properties. In a statement released this week, Caesars said it will begin phasing in its paid parking scheme at...

Gaming Gaming insights

Déjà vu for Japan casino bill

All of this talk about enacting Japan’s long-speculated casino legislation in the coming weeks sounds strangely familiar. December marks three years since the ruling Liberal Democratic Party first submitted a casino bill, only to see it...

Gaming Gaming insights

China arrests 94 in gambling ring bust

Chinese authorities have arrested 94 people allegedly involved in an illegal gambling ring that lured 400 players to Laos and Myanmar to gamble. According to China’s state news agency Xinhua, police made the arrests in Jincheng city in Shanxi at...

Lifestyle See and do

Facebook makes another China play

Facebook’s ongoing quest to win the approval of the Chinese Central Government has reached new heights with reports that the company has developed software that can filter various news reports from appearing on people’s pages based upon...