Gaming mogul Packer retreats from Japan plans

SYDNEY - Tycoon James Packer Monday said plans for gaming empire Crown to expand into the lucrative Japanese market were "off the table" as the company focuses on developing a flagship Sydney casino.

The Australian billionaire outlined his interest several years ago in building a resort-casino in Japan to tap the country's love of gambling.

But the firm is now pursuing a restructure amid a Chinese gambling crackdown, exiting its holding in Melco Resorts in Macau this year and shelving plans for a Las Vegas casino.

Packer said he did not want management "distracted" by participating in any competitive bidding process to build an integrated resort in Japan, should a casino license become available in Yokohama.

"There isn't a great opportunity to get back into Vegas. And there isn't an opportunity to get back into Macau. I don't want our management to be distracted," he told The Australian newspaper.

"People talk to me about Japan. I don't believe it is realistic for us to win a license in Japan."

Asked if that meant a Crown resort in Japan was off the table, Packer replied: "It is off my table. But I am only one director and I haven’t had the conversation with the board.

"I am not saying 'no forever', but what I am saying 'no' to is writing a Aus$500 million or Aus$1 billion cheque to go into Japan next week."

Japan has long been viewed as the Holy Grail of Asian gaming because of its wealthy population, proximity to China and appetite for other forms of legal gambling, including horse racing and pachinko, a slot machine-style game.

The newspaper said the international casino industry was still waiting to see a formal bill setting out the main principles under which Japan's casino industry would be run.

Crown is undergoing a revamp after 19 current and former employees were held for 10 months in China on charges of luring rich Chinese to Australia. They were released in August.

The case hurt Crown's high roller revenues, with anti-corruption laws in China banning organising gambling activities overseas for wealthy Chinese.

The company is now focusing on its casinos in Melbourne and Perth and developing a Aus$2.4 billion ($1.9 billion) gaming resort in Sydney which Packer called the "most important building built in Australia for a long time".

source: news.abs-cbn.com

'Like hell': Groom-to-be recalls Resorts World Manila attack

MANILA- “It was like hell.”

This was how groom-to-be Roscoe Fernandez described his and his siblings’ experience during the attack at the Resorts World Manila in Pasay City.

Fernandez was staying at a hotel in the area since he was supposed to get married Friday.

He said he and his siblings came from the casino at the 2nd floor and were on their way back to their room when they met running men.

“There was a commotion na but little did we know meron nang ano, a guy who was wearing a bonnet, a Kevlar vest. I couldn’t determine what kind of rifle the guy was using,” he said.

“I saw him exactly. We were a few meters away from the gunman,” he added.

Fernandez said he did not see anyone accompanying the gunman. The suspect was also only firing upwards and was not shooting anyone, but still caused panic.

“Wala ako nakita na kasama pero he was ano discriminately firing upwards eh but he wasn't shooting anyone so nataranta kami so we went to the fire exits,” Fernandez said.

Police already ruled out terrorism as a motive for the attack while Resorts World Manila has dispelled rumors that there was more than one gunman.

Fernandez said he did not see any security guard going after the gunman and was not aware where the guards were.


Out of fear, Fernandez ran to the fire exit and went straight to the basement where he hid for more than an hour.

Resorts World Manila on Friday said there were 35 fatalities from the attack. Of this figure, 13 were employees of the casino while 22 others were guests. Authorities later raised the toll to 38 dead.

Stephen Reilly, chief operating officer of the casino, also confirmed that a member of the casino’s security team shot and wounded the gunman.

 The suspect, who also torched casino tables, hid in a hotel room where he committed suicide.-- report from Doris Bigornia, ABS-CBN News

source: news.abs-cbn.com