Casinos bet big on retail

The Shoppes at Solaire, Entertainment City, Manila. (Photo provided by Bloomberry Resorts.)

Shopping malls have become an integral part of integrated resorts. Retail makes many contributions to casino resorts, but its impact on the bottom line may surprise you.

Former US diplomat and broadcast news producer Muhammad Cohen is Asia editor at large for iGaming Business, a longtime contributor to Forbes, columnist for Asia Times and author of Hong Kong On Air, a novel set in his adopted hometown during the 1997 handover about TV news, love, betrayal, high finance, and cheap lingerie. See his biography, online archive and more at www.muhammadcohen.com; follow him on Facebook, ex-Twitter @MuhammadCohen and LinkedIn.

Southeast Asia drives regional gaming growth

A visit to Malaysia’s Resorts World Genting, Asia’s first integrated resort, after early trips to Singapore and the Philippines, adds to evidence that Southeast Asia is the new engine of regional gaming growth. The ASEAN group combines new resorts, an increasingly wealth population and attractive resorts, with more on the way. Watch this space for more coverage of this intriguing destination.

Former US diplomat and broadcast news producer Muhammad Cohen is Asia editor at large for iGaming Business, a longtime contributor to Forbes, columnist for Asia Times and author of Hong Kong On Air, a novel set in his adopted hometown during the 1997 handover about TV news, love, betrayal, high finance, and cheap lingerie. See his biography, archive and more at www.muhammadcohen.com; follow him on Facebook, Twitter @MuhammadCohen and LinkedIn.