On July 23, 2025, Thailand’s Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT), in a meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit, formally recognized poker—alongside flag football and American football—as an official sport, a landmark decision poised to transform Thailand's approach to sports, tourism, and regulation. This historic move redefines poker as a skill-based mind sport, entirely distinct from gambling, and establishes a legal framework for professional competition in the country.
DigiPlus Interactive Corp., the Philippine‑listed gaming firm behind platforms such as BingoPlus, ArenaPlus, GameZone, and SpinPlus, has unveiled plans to file for three key gaming licences in South Africa, marking what it calls the next phase of its international expansion strategy. According to a July 25, 2025 press release, the company aims to secure a National Manufacturer License, a Bookmaker License, and a Bookmaker Premises License through the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board (WCGRB). It also intends to obtain key employee licences to govern operations locally.
As part of Art Macao: Macao International Art Biennale 2025, City of Dreams Macau (COD) has premiered “The Haas Brothers: Clair de Lune”, a special exhibition that reimagines moonlight as metaphor through whimsical, light-infused sculptures (19 July–12 September). The outdoor installation features six large-scale structures by brothers Simon and Nikolai Haas, including five lamp sculptures inspired by the legendary Moonlight Towers of their hometown Austin—works intriguingly titled “A Street Light Named Desire,” “Let There be Street Light,” “A Light in the Streets and Freak in the Sheets,” “Lamp of Approval,” and “Light to Remain Silent” .
In a landmark moment for marine exploration and education, Resorts World Sentosa unveiled the Singapore Oceanarium—a bold transformation of the former S.E.A. Aquarium—in a ceremony on 23 July 2025, followed by its public opening on 24 July. During the event, Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, Executive Chairman and Acting CEO of Genting Singapore, remarked: “What we’ve created goes far beyond a marine destination – not just in scale, but in ambition and impact,” underscoring the oceanarium’s elevated mission.
In a generous display of philanthropy, Galaxy Entertainment Group Chairman Francis Lui Yiu Tung donated MOP 30 million (approximately USD 3.7 million) to the Macao University of Tourism (UTM), a contribution that led to the main campus building being renamed the Yiu Tung Building. The naming ceremony took place on July 23, 2025, when UTM officially unveiled the rebranded, 14‑storey facility—formerly known as the Silver Jubilee Building.
Author: Janice Chew • Monday, 28/07/2025
