TTG Asia – LONG-STANDING political tensions were no barrier for Chinese travellers looking for sun, surf and gaming as arrivals from China to the Philippines surged a dramatic 69.9 per cent year-on-year in 2013. Travel consultants said this affirmed the Philippines’ appeal as a top beach destination. Oliver Sison, general manager at Far Eastern Travel Agency, said Chinese travellers love the beach and “primarily Boracay and (its) party atmosphere”. China was the Philippines’ fourth biggest source market according to Department of Tourism (DoT) statistics, totalling 426,352 arrivals and a 9.1 per cent total market share in 2013. DoT attributed this…

Press of Atlantic City – The head of a state Assembly committee pushing for gambling expansion in North Jersey attacked Atlantic City on Thursday, saying greedy casino executives have ruined the resort and are looking for a state bailout. Meanwhile, two South Jersey lawmakers continued to advocate for the city, saying such public discussions continue to erode confidence in Atlantic City, which still has two years remaining under Gov. Christie Christie’s promise to block gambling expansion in support of plans to revitalize the oceanside resort. The debate took place Thursday during a hearing of the Assembly Tourism and Gaming Committee,…

Miami Herald – Jai-alai has devolved into farce, a spectator sport with pretend spectators, a sad excuse for pari-mutuel license holders to stage the poker rooms and slot machine extravaganzas preferred by modern gamblers. But jai-alai, at least, is harmless farce. Players aren’t forcibly pumped full of steroids or locked in pens. Players don’t keel over dead on the fronton floor. When jai-alai players become too old and slow to compete, trainers don’t shoot them in the head and toss their bodies into mass graves. As Florida’s pari-mutuel farces go, jai-alai scores considerably less repugnant than greyhound racing. The public…

The US division of Greek-owned gaming and lottery operator Intralot has been awarded a contract extension to operate its online lottery gaming system in the state of New Mexico. The New Mexico Lottery Board gave the green light for Intralot to continue operating its lottery and related products and services for a further three years, until 2018, extending an existing seven-year partnership. “I look forward to continuing our productive relationship with Intralot as the lottery moves towards new technology and sales channels benefiting the future of New Mexico through our support of higher education,” New Mexico Lottery interim director David…

Australian gaming company Tatts has reported a slight fall in net profit in the six months through to December 31, but remains confident of its full-year results, according to the Australian newspaper. The report said that Tatts generated a net profit from ordinary activities of Aus$121.97 million (€79.7 million/$109.4 million) – a 5% fall from Aus$128.32 million in the corresponding period of 2012. However, the figures excluded revenue from Tatts’ now-discontinued Victorian operations. On a continuing activity basis, net profit rose by 12.2% thanks to record earnings from lotteries, increasing online demand, better cost control and lower interest expenses. Total…

Las Vegas Review Journal – MGM Resorts International ended 2013 on an upbeat note. Chairman Jim Murren told investors Wednesday that 2014 is off to an equally good beginning. The casino company, which operates 10 resorts on the Strip, said it reduced its fourth-quarter net loss while growing revenue 9.5 percent during the three-month period that ended Dec. 31. Murren called 2013, in which MGM Resorts grew revenue 7 percent to $9.8 billion, the company’s “best operating performance since the recession.” On a conference call with analysts and investors, Murren said the company expects a 10 percent growth in revenue per available…