Asia News - Page 86

International News Brief: A Thai university has reignited the debate over casinos by offering a course in casino and gaming management.

International News Brief: Gambling takes many forms in the Indonesia’s capital and continues to be backed by well-known figures. Former Jakarta governor Ali Sadikin recently renewed his call for its legalization.

International News Brief: Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu proposed that Israel change the law and allow casino gambling hotels to operate in Eilat.

International News Brief: Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo yesterday rejected renewed calls for the legalization of jueteng, an illegal numbers game, saying it would only encourage laziness among Filipinos.

International News Brief: Kerry Packer's Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd and Tabcorp have firmed as possible winners of Singapore's multibillion-dollar casino developments following a further shake-out of potential bidders.

International News Brief: Presidential son and Pampanga Rep. Mikey Arroyo confronted Pangasinan Archbishop Oscar Cruz during a congressional hearing yesterday on reports linking the Arroyos, along with police officers and national and local officials, to jueteng.

News Brief: Macau tycoon Stanley Ho yesterday unveiled plans for what will be the gambling haven's largest casino, the Oceanus, a colossal downtown entertainment complex covering three city blocks.

Las Vegas Sands Corp. said Tuesday its first-quarter revenues jumped nearly 69 percent from a year earlier helped by strong revenue growth at its Sands Macau property.

Hotel Properties Ltd. and Metro Holdings Ltd., which were last month named on a shortlist of 14 groups bidding to develop a casino resort in Singapore, no longer plan to continue with their joint bid.

International News Brief: House leaders on Friday emphasized the need for close coordination between the police and the Bureau of Internal Revenue running after jueteng lords who are also tax cheats.

International News Brief: Gross casino revenue in the gaming-friendly Chinese enclave of Macau is seen rising more than 40% in April from the same month last year, according to a Macau government source.

International News Brief: Casino heiress Pansy Ho has invested $80 million for a half-stake in MGM Grand Paradise, slated to become the city's fifth casino operator.

International News Brief: The Philippine Supreme Court has been asked to close down the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. because it has been operating without a franchise for the past three years.

International News Brief: An inter-ministry task force has been set up to deal with loan sharks and money laundering in Singapore.

Las Vegas Sands Corp. reports that the Singapore government has selected the company, among others, to participate in the Request for Proposal process which will lead to the building of an Integrated Resort.

International News Brief: A foreigners-only casino to be operated by the state-run tourism agency will open in southern Seoul at the end of this year, according to Choi Jae-geun, vice-president of the Korea National Tourism Organization.

Harrah's Asia Pte Ltd., and Keppel Land, Ltd., have been invited by the Singapore Tourism Board to submit joint proposals for two integrated resorts in the Republic of Singapore.

International News Brief: The casinos in the two integrated resorts in Singapore could generate revenue of as much as $2 billion a year.

The real Steve Wynn is a street fighter who has had to orchestrate comebacks from calamities that would have flattened lesser operators.

Wynn Resorts has been notified by the Singapore Tourism Board that it has qualified to participate in the Request for Proposal for an Integrated Resort that will be issued by the Singapore Government in the second quarter of 2005.