Macau’s VIP gambling market continued its resurgence in the second quarter of 2017, outpacing mass market growth by a factor of four.

The report of Macau’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) showed that the casino operators in the former Portuguese enclave enjoyed VIP baccarat revenue of MOP 35.85b (US $4.46b) in Q2. The figure is a 34.8% jump from the MOP 26.6b posted during the same period last year.

Mass market baccarat generated MOP 19.7b, up 5.7% year-on-year. However, mass market baccarat’s share of the overall gaming revenue pie fell to 31.3%, compared to 36.1% in Q2 2016. Meanwhile, slots revenue also fell nearly 5%.

Macau’s surging VIP numbers may drop in 2019 after local legislators approved plans to ban smoking at VIP tables. On July 14, the Legislative Assembly voted 24-8 to approve the amended Tobacco Prevention and Control Law, which will require casino operators to set up new smoking lounges by January 1, 2019.

The growth of the VIP gambling market is anchored on the expansion of the mass market. Improvement in products and services catering to the latter is crucial in weathering the effects of the upcoming smoking ban in 2019 and changes in China’s GDP which could negate gains in Macau’s VIP sector.

In this interview with CalvinAyre.com’s Becky Liggero, Miklos Handa of MailMike explains why he believes email remains a substantial marketing channel for online gaming businesses.

Ellerston Capital, an investment company backed by casino mogul James Packer, has increased its stake in The Star Entertainment Group.

The UKGC has warned would-be organizers of fantasy football leagues that operating their league as a business will require a UKGC-issued pool betting license.

The state’s 12 casinos generated table gaming revenue of just under $70m in June, yet Pennsylvania’s overall casino gaming revenue only totaled $3.2b, a decline of less than 1% from last year’s $3.22b.

Estimates of the number of people who gamble socially qualify for being diagnosed with gambling addiction range from 2% to 5%, effectively affecting millions of people in the US alone. 

Omnichannel: You think you’re being a digital maven when you casually blurt this term out during meetings. In marketing, it means that you have to consistently communicate with a customer across all types of media.

Patrons of the Springbok Casino in South Africa can now use Bitcoins for casino deposits and withdrawals.

Congratulations to Adrian Moreno for winning US $528,316 at the WSOP $1,111 Little One For One Drop. The event attracted 4,391 players and raised $992,000 for global clean water initiatives of the One Drop Foundation.