Newly released data reveal that more than 1,000 individuals visited the casino run by Kangwon Land at least 100 times in the past year — specifically, 1,122 people made 100 or more visits. This marks the first time since the pandemic that the number of such high-frequency visitors returned to four-digit figures (it was 1,604 in 2020, then plummeted during COVID restrictions). Among the frequent players, the single most active person entered the casino 159 times between October 2024 and October 2025; the person ranked 100th had already visited at least 143 times.
The Philippines has announced the reinstatement of its electronic visa (e-visa) system for Chinese nationals starting November 2025, a move aimed at revitalizing tourism and rebuilding one of its key source markets. Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco said the e-visa relaunch is a “strategic and long-overdue step” to enhance visitor convenience and restore pre-pandemic momentum, when China ranked among the country’s top three inbound markets. Authorities expect the measure to streamline travel, shorten processing times, and encourage group travel partnerships between Philippine and Chinese agencies.
Seaport Research Partners has reduced its price targets for several major Asia-focused gaming operators amid macroeconomic uncertainty and a softer-than-expected recovery in China. Analyst Vitaly Umansky noted that Macau’s earlier GGR rally may have led to “overly cautious” market reactions, pushing valuations to levels he considers unjustified. Despite the downgrade, Seaport maintains a positive long-term view on the region, arguing that Macau’s fundamentals remain sound and that the current share prices already factor in much of the downside risk.
Credit ratings agency Moody’s Investors Service has placed the Baa2 issuer rating of Genting Berhad on review for possible downgrade, citing concerns that the company’s announced voluntary offer to acquire the remaining ~50.6 % stake in Genting Malaysia Berhad will materially weaken its credit metrics. According to Moody’s, Genting’s adjusted debt/EBITDA is expected to rise to about 5.1 times in 2025 under the deal scenario—well above the agency’s 4.0 times downgrade threshold, and from an already weak base.
Governments in Southeast Asia are ramping up efforts to dismantle trans-national cyber-crime operations that overlap with human trafficking, forced labour and online scam networks. This has become a regional priority involving countries such as Cambodia and Myanmar, which are increasingly being used as hubs or safe-zones for these illicit operations.
Author: Janice Chew • Tuesday, 21/10/2025
