Mav’s Blog @ OnlineGambling.com

All systems go for casinos in China…that’s for those of you who like to think of Taiwan as part of China. Sure it is. The Republic of China not the People’s Republic of China.
Since the Kuomintang(KMT) was voted back after four years of opposition …Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)… rule, Taiwan’s KMT President elect, Ma Ying-jeou has made it clear he wants to go ahead with development of casinos in the Pescadores. Ma will be officially sworn in to the Presidency on May 20th.

The Pescadores, Penghu county, lies off the west coast of Taiwan in the Taiwan Strait between it and mainland China.
Casinos were talked about some years ago before the DPP were elected. They can become a reality now.

In the capital Taipei there is a branch of the Nevada State Office(NSO). The NSO indicated that one of its functions in Taipei has been hosting negotiations between the now new government and four major players, the four being: the Wynn organization, MGM, Harrahs, and the Las Vegas Sands. The talks have been about casino procedure, protocol and development advice.

Potential sites have already been earmarked for casino development in the Pescadores ..Some land owned by the local government also: the Great Penghu International Vacation Resort, Meijing Fengkuei Vacation Resort, and a site owned by the Penghu Oceanic Development Co.

Dunno if Mr Ho is interested, but Malaysia’s Genting group are.

Pescadores officials have selected four sites - Meijing Fengkuei Vacation Resort, Great Penghu International Vacation Resort, a site owned by Penghu Oceanic Development Co., and a four-hectare plot owned by the county government - as having the greatest potential for development by the gambling industry.

The airport at Makung, the captal city of the island group is going to have direct flights from mainland China. Presently access is via turboprop from Taipei….or boat if you feel inclined.

The Pescadores retain their Portuguese name and are traditionally islands relying on their fishing industry and in recent years, tourism.
There are some beaut beaches in Pescadores, not all stinking of fish.

Not to be confused with the Taiwanese islands ‘Doca dos Pescadores‘ wharf in Macau….last week hosted part of the Macau run of the Olympic torch.
Stanley Ho managed to walk a few steps carrying the burning symbol of the Olympics and was recorded as saying “that for his country he would carry the torch to the end of the world”….ok, get going Stanley.

The government of Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) are not going to approve any land for the building of new casinos in the near future, Macau’s CEO Edmund Ho said last week……. So Stanley was allowed the torch for a few metres as a gesture of compensation?

Later mav

Ladbrokes has opened up shop in Madrid. Next door to the famous Santiago Bernabeu stadium where Real Madrid have entertained millions over the years.
Ladbrokes in a joint venture with Cirsa are called ‘Sportium’

Granted a license along with its two competitors, Victoria, a partnership of William Hill and Codere and Intralot Iberia, Sportium expect to open at least 70 betting shops this year.

Ladbroke’s partner Cirsa has been working with the Chinese government in the province of Tianjin, towards the opening of the first legal (state owned of course) bingo hall in China. The Chinese will only allow bingo if technology can give Beijing direct online control of all bingo venues so big brother can keep an eye on the play. Cirsa want to be there if the market opens. I wonder if it will be called bingo in China….perhaps hau-si hau-si.

Stanleybet, already operating 750 betting venues in Europe expect to take advantage of Spain’s relaxed betting laws and get into the game in Spain.

The Spanish government granted three licenses initially, to open up the punters’ market in Madrid and also the Basque country.
Now ten licenses have been offered.

Rules of betting will be limited to 30 sports, unlike the UK where you can bet on where it will rain next, (probably not a good example, as in Spain it falls mainly on the plain doesn’t it?)
Some of the inclusions are traditional Basque games such as La Pelota Vasca…don’t ask.

In the Basque areas betting has been limited to a back door operation for a long time. With the advent of the new betting shops having a ‘front’ door the Basque punters are pleased, and say ‘ It’s good, now we don’t have too many Basques in one exit’

later mav

gambler: “Doctor, everywhere I look I see betting shops!

gambler: no, only betting shops.

Goa has about a dozen land based casinos and some floating. Many Goan residents wish they were all at sea.
The Aaam Aurat Admi Against Gambling (AAAAG) are Goans who are not at all in favour of casinos is representing organizations whose members have signed a petition hoping to influence the present government towards revoking casino licenses.

The previous Goan government, under the ‘Goa Gambling Act’ supported the construction and operation of casinos, believing it to bring tourist revenue to the local government coffers.

There are always the opposition.

The opposition’s main argument is that ‘money earned from vices should not be used to generate revenue.’ The AAAAG also believe that casinos will bring other nasties into their community such as drug dealers, hookers etc.

On the 11th April there was a ‘dharna’ held by many of the casino opposition, for example; womens’ and religious organizations, community groups.
Traditionally a ‘dharna’ is a way of demanding justice by ‘sitting at the door’ of the wrongdoer and fasting until justice is obtained. These kind of meetings are used by communities and organizations seeking reform or change.

Ms Sabina Martins from Bailancho Saad, one of the leaders of the protest, has demanded that the Goan government also ban off-shore, floating casinos. She said, if nothing was done protesters would be organized to prevent people entering the casinos.

Many police in Goa are probably wondering where their next ‘touch’ is going to be if casinos are banned.
This week (April 25th) they have been accused of standing idly by whilst bullfighting operators continued to hold illegal bullfights.
Last Thursday the Bombay High Court in Goa, demanded action of the police of two areas where the fights take place.

Perhaps the police will have to be content with ‘turning a blind eye’ to the Matka punters and their bookies.

Matka: originally punters bet money on numbers and the winning number received 80 times the bet.
The game started by using the opening and closing figures of the cotton exchange that were transmitted to India and was gambled on…and it cottoned on.

Now it has many variations based on combinations of numbers using playing cards or just numbered cards and easy to open up a game almost anywhere.
Operated often by registered bookies in India, but behind the scenes.

From an article by J. Day February 2008…. The more than Rs 350 crore matka business that turns mafia and police wheels of fortune, is back on the streets of Mumbai.…The illegal betting syndicate is a good source of income for the underworld and the police. Locals said they were afraid to report the illegal betting den to the police, fearing a backlash. They were led to believe that the police were collecting ‘hafta’ from the operator.

later mav

Jie Gao, China, not far from the Burma border and a gateway town into Burma .
It is on the famous eleven hundred kilometre ‘Burma Road.’

This part of Burma, Shan State, is ruled by warlords who normally charge a substantial ‘rent’ to those who wish to pass through their territory.

However, this month the Chinese government, who have a penchant for border crossing, are delivering 100 new army trucks to Burma’s central government military dictatorship. Last year the Chinese supplied much of the transport to help the Burmese military counter the Buddhist monk uprising.

Three years ago the Chinese Army was in Shan State closing down all the casinos. Much to the grievance of the warlords of Shan.
Since then these independent rulers have capitalised on the clean-up and rebuilt more modern and well equipped casinos in this jungle area for their Chinese customers.

This trip, the convoy of green Tongfeng made trucks are ambling through the winding jungle road ignoring the casinos. Their priorities have changed. Perhaps there is an unspoken deal ‘you allow our trucks safe passage and we will ignore your casinos.’
The Chinese government cannot officially close Burmese casinos, the best they can do is stop gamblers going to them but it isn’t in their interests, they need to keep sweet with the Shan and Kachin ….they need backalleys of trade to make enough money to support their army in Tibet.

The people here in the border area are used to seeing trucks….going both ways. Burmese timber has long been traveling into China. Even since the Beijing government banned imports of the raw timber illegal trade is still rife.
Illegal jade and of course narcotics make up much of the ever rolling convoys crossing into China.

In the border village of Mai Ja Yang the ethnic Kachin people are planning to build more and massive casinos to cater for increasing demand.

Jie Gao has become a free trade area on the Ruili River bordering Burma, there are no casinos here. Because over the border the towns and villages in many outlying areas sport the casino business.

Jie Gao has the drugs, heroin by the ton. Backhanders, greasing the right palms allows the free trade to continue interrupted.

Ruili has it’s share of the drugtrade too but the first prize must go to Jie Gao.

Officially China exported over one billion dollars worth of various commodities to Burma in 2007 and imported only about a quarter of a billion dollars worth from Burma. But in reality the figures of Chinese imports from Burma probably far exceeds Burma’s from China.

At the end of March the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) arrested two Tibetan activisists in the KIA controlled town of Laiza, on request of the Chinese government. In early April Chinese military officials held talks with the KIA to discuss security issues along the border.
There is strong military presence in Jie Gao and the border crossings at the moment so if you were looking for a bit of a flutter at the casinos better wait a while.

later mav

You would imagine that all of Macau would be reap benefits from the millions of punters that grace their casinos…..not so.
The Chinese, who make up the majority of casino patrons, only come here to gamble….they don’t buy things.

Most cities that sport casinos have spin off trade into other areas, such as sightseeing tours, shopping etc. But Macau shops and tours feel the pinch as the money pours into the casino coffers …..plus Beijing’s cut.

There must be upwards of twenty thousand hotel rooms full of punters at any given time in Macau. Many come just for the weekend or their rostered days off. Pouring off the ferries and out of the newly renovated airport, massing through the border gates at the rate of hundreds of thousands a day.
There’s about 150 ferry crossings every day between HK and Macau too.

During the recent Ching Ming holidays (April 4th-6th ) one million Chinese crossed either into, or out of, Macau.
Still many try to stay there and get jobs. Some do it legally, almost half of Macau’s population was born in mainland China.

If you’re into avoiding the masses you can get a helicopter from Hong Kong , flight takes about 20 minutes……. plus terminal time of course.
The high rolling Chinese drop in by helicopter at Terminal Marítimo, Macau, having paid big rimimbi from Shenzhen airport.
Shenzhen, China’s big new city, is only seventy kliks by road from the Macau border.

If you’ve spent all your money getting to Macau you can grab a mini-bus into town, but don’t expect any change if you don’t have the correct fare.

later mav