Okada Manila’s casino performance in the fourth quarter of 2025 showed a significant decline in gross gaming revenue (GGR) compared with the year-earlier period, highlighting ongoing operational challenges at the integrated resort in the Philippines’ Entertainment City. According to a recent filing from the property’s operator Tiger Resort, Leisure and Entertainment Inc, Okada Manila recorded just under PHP 5.93 billion (US $99.7 million) in casino GGR for the October–December quarter — representing a 34 % drop year-on-year. This quarterly downturn marked continued pressure across both VIP and mass gaming segments.
Macau gaming operator SJM Holdings Ltd has begun a targeted repurchase of its US$500 million senior notes due on 27 January 2026, with filings showing the company has acquired approximately 34 % of the outstanding principal as part of a broader refinancing and debt-management strategy. The senior notes carry a fixed interest rate of 4.500 per cent and were originally issued in January 2021. SJM’s move reflects balancing near-term obligations while pursuing financial flexibility in a competitive market backdrop.
Cambodia has moved to tighten its foreign residency regulations as part of an effort to strengthen national security and bolster confidence among tourists and international investors. The Ministry of Interior has instructed the General Department of Immigration (GDI) to increase oversight of foreign nationals, including better monitoring of residency status and compliance with Cambodian law, in a measure officials say will make the country safer and more attractive for long-term economic engagement. These changes were highlighted during a government conference reviewing 2025 achievements and outlining policy directions for 2026.
Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister Mai Văn Chính has urged a series of streamlined tourism measures aimed at helping the country reach its ambitious target of welcoming 25 million international visitors in 2026. Speaking at a meeting of the State Steering Committee for Tourism, Chính emphasized the need to remove institutional bottlenecks, accelerate digital transformation in visa processes and entry-exit procedures, and renew promotional strategies to boost both foreign arrivals and domestic holidaymakers. The government’s goal reflects a shift from recovery to quality growth in the tourism sector, building on the record performance seen in 2025.
United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested Cui Lijie, the 68-year-old Chinese billionaire and majority shareholder of Imperial Pacific International (IPI), on alleged immigration violations in the United States, according to multiple recent reports. Cui was booked and is being held at the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) Department of Corrections while details of the alleged violations and the timeline of the investigation remain sparse. Authorities have not yet released specific charges or indicated how long the probe has been underway, though local court records confirm her detention pending an upcoming immigration hearing.
Author: Janice Chew • Thursday, 15/01/2026
