Despite an uptick in visitor arrivals during the Golden Week holiday, Macau’s retailers are voicing frustration: foot traffic hasn’t translated into meaningful sales. In the eight-day period from September 29 to October 6, Macau welcomed 1.14 million visitors, averaging 143,000 daily — a modest 1.9 percent year-on-year increase in arrivals. The record border crossings—5.54 million over the holiday stretch—did little to boost consumption in shopping districts.
Australia’s media and communications regulator, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), announced that it has stepped up enforcement of interactive gambling safeguards in its 2024–25 compliance report. The report highlights that, beyond education and compliance outreach, the agency has launched 10 new investigations, closed another 10, and intensified its monitoring of operators’ adherence to rules around the National Self-Exclusion Register (NSER), banned payment methods, and blocking illegal offshore gambling sites.
Genting Berhad has quietly increased its stake in its leisure arm by acquiring over 1.7 million shares in Genting Malaysia. While the share volume is modest relative to total outstanding stock, the move signals confidence in Genting Malaysia’s prospects and may strengthen the parent company’s influence in strategic decisions.
Philippine-listed gaming operator DigiPlus Interactive Corp has entered an exclusive partnership with bills payment provider Bayad to expand over-the-counter (OTC) or physical cash payment options for its platforms. Under the deal, Bayad will become the “only gaming partner” of DigiPlus for OTC cash transactions.
MGM Resorts’ executive Ed Bowers has argued that the success of the 2025 Osaka World Expo demonstrates the infrastructure readiness of the Yumeshima site to support a high-capacity integrated resort—potentially accommodating 250,000 visitors per day. Bowers points to the Expo’s traffic patterns, logistical performance, and visitor handling as evidence that the network of transport, venue support, crowd-control systems, and adjacent infrastructure can scale up for a casino-anchored resort.
Author: Janice Chew • Friday, 10/10/2025
