Construction of the Wynn Al Marjan integrated resort in Ras Al Khaimah has reached a major milestone, with the tower now standing at the 61st floor out of 70. Marjan CEO Abdulla Al Abdouli confirmed that the project remains on schedule, with a grand opening targeted for March 2027. The $3.9 billion resort will be the first integrated gaming property in the Middle East, following Wynn Resorts’ receipt of the UAE’s first commercial gaming operator license in 2024.
Thailand’s Senate is set to debate and likely oppose the controversial Entertainment Complex Bill, which sought to legalize casinos within integrated resorts. A special Senate panel concluded that the proposal violates constitutional provisions and could do more harm than good. The panel highlighted risks of increased gambling addiction, crime, and money laundering, while also stressing potential conflicts with Thailand’s moral values and international reputation.
Recent reports indicate that DigiPlus Interactive Corp. has become the frontrunner in talks to acquire Melco Resorts & Entertainment’s 50% stake in City of Dreams Manila, the integrated resort jointly owned (via Belle Corp, with the Sy family controlling Belle) and currently operated by Melco. Melco had earlier in 2025 entered what it described as a strategic review—its “asset light” plan—to explore divesting its interest in the resort.
International Entertainment Corporation (IEC), a Hong Kong-listed firm, is expecting to post a loss of at least HK$260 million (approx. US$32.5 million) for its fiscal year ending 30 June 2025. This is a steeper decline from its FY24 loss of about HK$162.2 million (US$20.9 million). The primary driver: increased costs tied to the takeover and renovation of the casino operations at its New Coast Hotel Manila.
South Korea’s Kangwon Land has recently secured approval from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) to implement new operational changes in its casino business, including updates to rules governing its foreigner-only gaming floor. Among the approved modifications are adding two more gaming machines to the foreigner-only section (raising the total from 1,610 to 1,612 machines), specifying betting limits for foreigner-only games (now capped at KRW 50,000), and installing foreign exchange machines in strategic locations – one near the 4th-floor counter and another on the 5th-floor gaming floor. These rules formalize some of the changes Kangwon Land has been piloting in its foreigner-only zone.
Author: Janice Chew • Tuesday, 23/09/2025
