Asia Gaming Weekly News Bulletin – ISSUE 76 Week of 3 August 2026
(1) Hong Kong Jockey Vincent Ho’s Years of Dedication and Work Ethic Fuel World-Class Success
Elite Hong Kong jockey Vincent Ho attributes his career success—including 12 Group 1 titles and over 500 local wins—to rigorous 3:45 AM daily training, a deep bond with champion horse Golden Sixty, and off-season international competition in Britain.
(2) Investment Brokerages Expect Macao Gaming Revenues to Resume Growth in August as World Cup Distractions Fade
Investment Brokerages predict Macao’s gaming revenue will resume growth in August as World Cup distractions fade. Supported by a stronger Renminbi and easing visa policies, analysts expect improved mass and VIP market recovery, though high comparison bases late in the year may temper overall momentum.
(3) Chinese Embassy in South Korea Rejects Media Claims Linking Tourists to Casino Growth, Calls for Stricter Oversight
The Chinese Embassy in South Korea rejected local media claims positioning Chinese tourists as key drivers for Korean casinos. Citing gambling debts and tragedies among students, the embassy urged Seoul to enforce stricter casino oversight and stop targeted solicitation of Chinese visitors.
(4) Vingroup-Backed Consortium Proposes US$3 Billion Mixed-Use Hanoi Twin Towers Project Featuring Casino
A Vingroup-backed consortium proposed the US$3 billion “Hanoi Twin Towers 99” project in Hanoi, Vietnam. Featuring a casino, luxury hotel, and convention space, the proposed 568-meter complex aims to become the world’s tallest twin towers, with completion targeted for late 2030 pending government approval.
(1) Hong Kong Jockey Vincent Ho’s Years of Dedication and Work Ethic Fuel World-Class Success
(Photo Credit: SCMP)
Top home-grown Hong Kong jockey Vincent Ho Chak-yiu’s rise to world-class sportsmanship is driven by intense self-discipline, intelligent training, and an unwavering commitment to his craft. Ho’s daily regimen begins at 3:45 AM, exercising up to 10 horses before breakfast to understand their temperaments, followed by afternoon strength and stamina conditioning. Highlighting the physical demands and risks of horse racing—where jockeys crouch over mounts reaching speeds of 70 km/h—Ho notes the unique challenge of controlling a living, thinking animal.
Since starting his riding journey at age 13 and enrolling in the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Apprentice Jockeys’ School at 16, Ho has overcome late-starter disadvantages through meticulous study of elite global jockeys and cultivating deep connections with his horses. His bond with three-time Horse of the Year Golden Sixty has anchored many of his career milestones, including 12 Group 1 titles, a personal-best 96 wins in a single season, and four Tony Cruz Awards as Hong Kong’s top local rider.
Ho also holds historical distinctions as the first Asian jockey to win all three legs of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series and the Group 1 Champions Mile aboard Golden Sixty. To continually refine his skills, Ho spends Hong Kong’s off-seasons competing in the United Kingdom, earning victories at Haydock, Ascot, and Scottish tracks, exemplifying the sustained dedication of Hong Kong’s premier home-grown athletes.
(2) Investment Brokerages Expect Macao Gaming Revenues to Resume Growth in August as World Cup Distractions Fade
(Photo Credit: exmoo news)
Investment brokerages project that Macao’s gross gaming revenue (GGR) will return to positive growth in August following the conclusion of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Analysts such as Seaport’s Vitaly Umansky noted that improved liquidity environments, relaxed visa policies, and a stronger Renminbi will enhance funding conditions and travel sentiment among high-end gaming clients. While China’s broader economic outlook and potential extreme weather events like typhoons remain underlying risks, further recovery in Macao’s overnight mass market could provide additional upside.
Conversely, JPMorgan offered a more cautious outlook, estimating August GGR at roughly MOP 22.2 billion—flat year-on-year—before experiencing a 6% uptick in September. Analysts Daniel Politzer, Samuel Nielson, and Michael Hirsch highlighted that the market is watching whether the recent demand recovery noted by MGM is an industry-wide trend or operator-specific. Additionally, JPMorgan cautioned that a high comparison base from Q4 of last year—driven by strong VIP handle and win rates—might moderate short-term growth momentum toward the end of the year.
Reviewing July’s performance, Seaport reported that while VIP win rates remained elevated, overall VIP and mass-market revenues saw mild declines due to sports tournament distractions. As the impact of the World Cup dissipates, analysts agree that sustaining the late-July recovery momentum through August and September will be pivotal in dictating the trajectory of Macao’s gaming industry for the second half of the year.
News Source: https://www.exmoo.com/article/263736.html
(3) Chinese Embassy in South Korea Rejects Media Claims Linking Tourists to Casino Growth, Calls for Stricter Oversight
(Photo Credit: VCG)
The Chinese Embassy in South Korea has strongly rejected local media claims portraying Chinese tourists as the primary growth engine for South Korea’s casino industry. In an article published in the Korea Times, Tang Liang, counselor for consular affairs at the Chinese Embassy, expressed deep shock and opposition to reports advocating that Korean casinos target Chinese visitors as their core clientele, urging South Korean authorities to tighten industry oversight and curb aggressive gambling solicitation.
The embassy highlighted the severe social harms of gambling, reiterating China’s strict zero-tolerance policy against overseas gambling by its citizens and noting that South Korea similarly restricts its own citizens from most domestic casinos. Tang warned that targeted marketing toward foreign nationals—particularly Chinese tourists—erodes friendly bilateral relations, disrupts South Korea’s tourism market, and inflicts severe harm on individuals. The article cited tragic incidents, including Chinese students in South Korea who died by suicide after accumulating heavy gambling debts, as distressing evidence of the industry’s real-world costs.
Emphasizing that gambling does not constitute healthy or constructive cultural exchange, the embassy called on South Korea to strictly regulate casino operations and eliminate targeted recruitment. While both nations have implemented visa facilitation measures to boost economic development and tourism, the embassy stressed that profiting through gambling is a short-sighted strategy. China pledged to enhance educational outreach for outbound tourists to enforce legal compliance, urging Seoul to fulfill its regulatory responsibilities to protect cross-border travel integrity.
News Source: https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202608/1367477.shtml
(4) Vingroup-Backed Consortium Proposes US$3 Billion Mixed-Use Hanoi Twin Towers Project Featuring Casino
(Photo Credit: GGRAsia)
An investor consortium supported by Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup has submitted a proposal to the Hanoi People’s Committee to build a US3.5 billion mixed-use development titled “Hanoi Twin Towers 99.” The proposed investor group—comprising Kim Lien Tourism JSC, Thaiholdings JSC, and Vingroup subsidiary Thai Son Construction Investment JSC—is seeking planning approval and authorization to prepare the flagship investment project in Vietnam’s capital.
Planned for a 34,936-square-meter site on Dao Duy Anh Street, the development aims to become the world’s tallest twin-tower complex. Rising 568 meters high, the 99-storey towers with six basement levels are designed to house an international convention center, performing arts venue, shopping mall, office spaces, residential units, a six-star hotel, and a casino. Additional luxury amenities in the proposal include a digital art museum, sky ballroom, tropical gardens, and rooftop helipads, though details regarding the casino’s specific scale, licensing, or operating partner were not disclosed.
The consortium plans to fully fund the project using its own internal resources alongside financing arranged with overseas financial institutions, targeting completion between the third and fourth quarters of 2030. However, the proposal remains pending official planning approval from Hanoi authorities. Under Vietnam’s current regulatory framework, casino entry is strictly controlled, with local residents generally prohibited from gambling outside of selected properties participating in government-approved pilot programs.
News Source: https://www.ggrasia.com/vingroup-backed-consortium-proposes-us3bln-hanoi-casino-project-reports
