Asia Gaming Weekly News Bulletin – ISSUE 51 Week of 9 February 2026
(1) Zac Purton sticks with Sagacious Life in Classic Cup, while Self Improvement settles in well in Saudi Arabia
Zac Purton sticks with Sagacious Life for March 1 Classic Cup despite recent fourth, eyeing trip boost for Derby Paulista winner. Self Improvement readies for Riyadh sprint while Lucky Sweynesse targets Ka Ying Rising rematch in Queens Silver Jubilee Cup.
(2) APT Jeju High Roller ships first-ever Indonesian Mega Lion champ
Indonesia’s rookie poker player Rudy Edenata wins APT Jeju High Roller’s Mega Lion trophy, beating pro Weiran Pu for $159K. Record series draws 1,718 main event entrants.
(3) Chinese tourist inflows lift South Korea’s foreigner-only casinos ahead of Lunar New Year
China-Japan tensions boost Korean foreigner casinos with record January sales led by Paradise’s $64M haul. Chinese visitors hit 243,000, surpassing Japan levels, with 200,000 more expected for Lunar New Year.
(4) Does victory of Anutin and allies spell the end for Thai casino hopes?
Thailand’s casino bill faces death after anti-gambling Bhumjaithai Party tops election but needs Prachachart support. Pheu Thai’s 70 seats offer no salvation, while Japan’s casino push gains steam under new PM Takaichi.
(Photo Credit: Kenneth Chan/SCMP)
Champion jockey Zac Purton confirmed he will ride Brazilian Group One winner Sagacious Life in the Classic Cup over 1,800m on March 1, seeking redemption after the Pierre Ng-trained import finished fourth in the Classic Mile. Despite laying in during the straight from barrier 13, the gelding settled midfield and kept on solidly, building on two prior local victories.
The step up in trip suits Sagacious Life, who dominated the 2,400m Derby Paulista before import. Purton, an eight-time Hong Kong champion who won the 2022 Classic Cup on California Spangle, chose the horse over seven Classic Mile contenders including victor Little Paradise. That rival, ridden by Vincent Ho Chak-yiu, will remain a major threat alongside Australian import Numbers, fresh off a Group Three Centenary Vase win at the distance.
Purton holds options for the HK$26 million BMW Hong Kong Derby on March 22, including Sagacious Life, but will decide closer to the date. In other news, trainer Manfred Man Ka-leung reported Self Improvement in top shape ahead of Saturdays US$2 million Group Two Riyadh Dirt Sprint in Saudi Arabia, following the geldings Group Three Korea Sprint triumph. Man also targets stable star Lucky Sweynesse for a rematch with unbeaten Ka Ying Rising in the Group One Queens Silver Jubilee Cup on February 22.
(2) APT Jeju High Roller ships first-ever Indonesian Mega Lion champ
(Photo Credit: APT)
Rookie Indonesian player Rudy Edenata made history as the first from his country to win the prestigious Mega Lion trophy in the Asian Poker Tour’s Jeju Classic High Roller event, pocketing $159,400 and a seat in November’s championship main event. Just months into tournament play since last August, he outlasted 259 entrants generating a $763,000 prize pool, defeating seasoned champion Weiran Pu in a heads-up play for the trophy.
The competition included an intense final table where Pu held early chip dominance alongside all-time tour leader Joseph Cheong, but Edenata surged ahead through key hands, including one where his strong starting cards survived a dangerous board to win a massive pot. Other eliminations followed bluff plays and unlucky card matchups, leaving the duo alone. In the decisive moment, Edenata’s all-in bet forced Pu’s response, and a lucky final card completed his winning hand combination despite trailing midway.
Pu earned $107,330 for second, boosting his $3.6 million career total. The victory caps Jeju’s record series with 1,718 main event entries, Korea’s largest international poker tournament, as the tour’s 20th anniversary heads to Taipei in April.
News Source: https://www.poker.org/latest-news/apt-jeju-high-roller-ships-first-ever-indonesian-mega-lion-champ-ajBzO2X76Vzt/
(3) Chinese tourist inflows lift South Korea’s foreigner-only casinos ahead of Lunar New Year
(Photo Credit: Shutterstock Images)
South Korea’s foreigner-only casinos are booming ahead of Lunar New Year as diplomatic tensions between China and Japan redirect Chinese outbound tourism, with cancelled flights and travel advisories funneling visitors to Korea.
Paradise posted record January net casino sales of KRW94.3 billion ($64.4 million), up 31.4 percent year-on-year. Lotte Tour Development surged 55 percent to KRW45.6 billion ($31.1 million), while Grand Korea Leisure (GKL) gained 6.6 percent at KRW36.6 billion ($25 million). Combined drops across the trio hit KRW1.17 trillion ($800 million), up 21.9 percent, with 243,000 visitors, a 29.7 percent rise.
GKL’s Gangnam casino saw mass-market drop exceed KRW9 billion ($6.1 million), the highest in two years. Analysts at IBK Securities highlight the operators’ strong positioning, while Hanwha Investment & Securities forecasts over 200,000 Chinese tourists during the February 15-23 holiday, boosted by visa-free group entry through June.
For the first time since 2017, Chinese arrivals to Korea outpace Japan, creating sustained spillover for the casino sector as Beijing-Japan frictions persist.
(4) Does victory of Anutin and allies spell the end for Thai casino hopes?
(Photo Credit: Shutterstock Images)
Any lingering optimism that Thailand might revive plans to legalise casinos has largely disappeared following the weekend election. The Bhumjaithai Party, led by Anutin Charnvirakul, won the most votes but fell short of a majority, meaning it will need coalition support, most likely from the Prachachart Party. That partnership would effectively kill any chance of the casino bill’s return, as Prachachart has long opposed gambling on religious and cultural grounds.
The Pheu Thai Party, once the bill’s strongest backer under former leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra, softened its stance during the campaign. Winning just over 70 seats, it remains influential but distant from power. Analysts say this outcome ends months of speculation that Thailand might revisit casino regulation to boost tourism and revenue.
Legal experts such as Lau Kok Keng of Rajah & Tan Singapore, who previously voiced cautious optimism for reform, now acknowledge those hopes have faded. Industry interest, including investments by international gaming firms, is also expected to wane. Charnvirakul has reiterated his firm opposition, dismissing claims that gambling could drive economic growth.
In contrast, Japan is moving in the opposite direction: Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent electoral victory has cleared the way for casino development, including MGM’s flagship project in Osaka.
News Source: https://igamingexpert.com/regions/asia/anutin-thailand-gambling/
