Business Spectator – Chinese billionaire Tony Fung is one step closer to building a $4.2 billion mega-resort and casino in far north Queensland. Queensland’s Coordinator-General Barry Broe released a report outlining what must be covered in the development’s Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Public consultation on the draft report attracted about 56 submissions, with residents flagging flooding, water quality, drainage, water and sewerage utilities and road infrastructure as critical issues. If approved, the resort would be one of the largest tourism ventures in the state and pump $2.8 billion into the economy each year once completed. The 340-hectare resort and casino…

iGaming Business – Dutch gambling monopoly Holland Casino has been placed under direct supervision due to financial problems. According to Dutch newspaper Financieele Dagblad, the company’s debt currently stands at €60 million ($80.4 million) and could reach in excess of €100 million. The organisation is also set to cut a further 150 jobs and reduce staff perks. “The situation at Holland Casino requires vigorous action. Turnover has dropped by 30% over the past five years,” a Holland Casino spokesman said. Holland Casino operates 14 casinos across the Netherlands but has suffered in recent times due to lower visitor numbers and…

Reuters – It’s being touted as China’s answer to Orlando, a $5 billion resort and theme park complete with a mega rollercoaster and a whale shark tank situated on a sleepy southern island next to the world’s biggest gambling hub Macau. Chimelong, which is set to partially open next month, is the linchpin of China’s ambitious plans to expand Hengqin into a leisure hub similar to the coastal U.S. city globally renowned for its natural attractions and theme-park resorts by Walt Disney Co and Universal Studios. And while some extravagant infrastructure projects in China have turned into white elephants, the…

iGaming Business – Delaware’s State Lottery Office has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) through the Department of Finance to appoint a law firm to act as an iGaming counsel for the US state’s lottery. The Delaware Lottery said it intends to select one or more experienced iGaming counsels to provide legal advice in connection with the Delaware Gaming Competitiveness Act of 2012. Under the act, Delaware is permitted to offer iGaming services. The state said that the lottery’s mission is to deliver secure lottery services in order to maximise revenue contributions to the state’s general fund with the goal…

iGaming Business – A consortium of UK National Lottery operator Camelot and An Post, the state-owned provider of postal services in Ireland, has been named as the preferred bidder for the licence to run the Irish National Lottery under a new 20-year contract reported to be worth €405 million ($542.7 million). According to The Irish Times newspaper, the bid was submitted through the Premier Lotteries Ireland Consortium comprising An Post, its pension funds and Camelot’s parent company, the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan. One of the significant features of the new agreement is that the licensee will have greater flexibility to…

Reuters – Japan would establish an independent gaming regulator modelled on the authorities that police casinos in Las Vegas and Singapore under a draft plan to legalise gambling in a market seen as potentially the second-largest in the world. The policy outline, which was prepared by Japanese lawmakers who favour casinos and reviewed by Reuters, outlines broad standards for licensing and regulating casino operators and their partners. After more than a decade of lobbying by lawmakers, a bill to legalise casino gambling is seen as having a good chance of passing in the coming months with the business-friendly Liberal Democratic…