NagaCorp’s success story rolls snake eyes

With NagaCorp’s Chinese customer base waylaid and its founder deceased, the Hong Kong listed Phnom Penh casino monopoly faces unprecedented challenges. Naga needs more of the nimble, out of the box thinking that built its 25 year run of success.

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.

Vietnam sets beachfront casino resort standard

Hoiana is one of Vietnam’s trio of beachfront casino resorts. (Company provided photo)

Best in class beachfront casino resorts may lift Vietnam into the first tier of Asian gaming destinations. The Grand – Ho Tram outside Ho Chi Minh City, Hoiana near UNESCO World Heritage site Hoi An and Corona on the island of Phu Quoc set regional benchmarks gaming (and non-gaming) by the sea.

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.

Resorts World Genting plays it chill

In the cool mountain air of a 130 million year old rainforest, Resorts World Genting is Asia’s largest and most unique integrated resort. Just 58 kilometers (36 miles) from Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur, RW Genting feels worlds away. Malaysia’s only legal casino has to be different because the majority of the national population are barred from gambling.

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.

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.

Unhappy FU Day from US 2024 presidential race

Greetings and salutations for Felix Unger Day. May your linguine never be garbage.

This year’s FU Day falls amid the US 2024 presidential race, featuring a codependent odd couple of white men pushing 80 from either end as the major party front runners. Polls show a majority of the country would rather have different nominees on each side; instead, the erstwhile world’s greatest democracy is giving the electorate a big, fat FU.

As The Odd Couple hypnotist episode quotes Shakespeare, “The fault lies not within our stars but within our selves.” Or as Felix Unger himself said, “Let it be on your head.”

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 bio, archive and more at www.muhammadcohen.com; follow him on Facebook, Twitter @MuhammadCohen and LinkedIn.

Ubud 2023: Goenawan Mohamad’s reformasi

Goenawan Mohamad in conversation with Pamela Allen at the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival. (Photo credit: Reskiana)

“Like crime, poetry doesn’t pay.” – Indonesian man of arts and letters and press freedom icon Goenawan Mohamad explaining why he turned to journalism from poetry at the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival in Bali.

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 bio, archive and more at www.muhammadcohen.com; follow him on Facebook, Twitter @MuhammadCohen and LinkedIn.

Ubud 2023: Indonesia finds truth in fiction

Photo credit: Ubud Writers and Readers Festival/Mudita Nanda

In a conversation with author Leila Chudori at the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival in Bali, writer and activist Debra Yatim pointed out that Indonesia’s deadly political upheaval that began in 1965, leaving hundreds of thousands dead, gets a couple of paragraphs in national history textbooks but is the subject of more than 20 works of fiction. Those include Chudori’s Home, chronicling Indonesian political exiles and their families left behind. My favorite is Laksmi Pamuntjak’s The Question of Red, a retelling of a piece of the pan Asian Ramayana epic in The Year of Living Dangerously and its unresolved aftermath.

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 bio, archive and more at www.muhammadcohen.com; follow him on Facebook, former Twitter @MuhammadCohen and LinkedIn.

Thailand casino plans may go up in smoke

Momentum has been building toward casino legalization in Thailand within three years. But how Thailand’s new government reforms cannabis policy could provide hints as to how the dice will roll on casinos.

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 bio, archive and more at www.muhammadcohen.com; follow him on Facebook, Twitter @MuhammadCohen and LinkedIn.

Macau marches to post-pandemic tune

Grand Lisboa Palace evokes SJM founder Stanley Ho’s vision of Macau as Asia’s Monte Carlo. (Photo: Muhammad Cohen)

Once again the world’s casino revenue leader, Macau has entered a brave new world of new properties, new policies, no large scale junkets operations and a focus on non-gaming spending.

Meanwhile June gross gaming revenue of US$1.9 billion makes the first half tally 53.6% of 2019, up from 52% through May, but still well short of the post-pandemic boom in the US, Philippines and Singapore. Macau is moving in the right direction, but still has a long way to go.

Former US diplomat and broadcast news producer Muhammad Cohen is 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 bio, archive and more at www.muhammadcohen.com; follow him on Facebook, Twitter @MuhammadCohen and LinkedIn.