All across Asia, from Macau to Singapore, there is increasing pressure from governments for operators of casino resorts in regulated jurisdictions to step up non-gaming offerings. A question often emerges: how to meet such regulatory requirements without businesses risking subsidising non-gaming activities through their gaming operations?

“That’s the million-dollar question – and it all comes down to precision and profitability,” says hospitality and travel industry veteran Tony Marshall (pictured), vice president and managing director for Asia Pacific at Agilysys Inc, an international provider of hospitality software products and services.

“With modern hospitality platforms, non-gaming services don’t have to be cost centres. In fact, they can become some of the most profitable parts of a resort’s operation – if they’re optimised correctly,” he told GGRAsia in an interview.

Mr Marshall noted that predictive hospitality technology software can enable real-time demand forecasting and dynamic pricing for a range of non-gaming offerings. “By analysing live data – booking patterns, inventory levels, and guest profiles – properties can intelligently adjust availability and pricing to prioritise high-margin services at peak times,” he said.

“For example, low-margin spa services can be filtered out during high-demand hours, making space for treatments that drive more revenue. Similarly, golf tee times can be reserved for loyalty members first, enhancing perceived value while maintaining profitability.”

Th executive is based in Singapore, a city with a casino duopoly: Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa, two complexes with extensive non-gaming offerings. Mr Marshall said that, “in essence, with the right data and tools, properties can price dynamically, bundle strategically, and allocate resources based on return on investment, ensuring non-gaming experiences boost revenue rather than drain it.”

He pointed out that “the most successful hotel and resort casinos today understand that gaming is just one part of a much larger experience”. Mr Marshall argued that “guest-centric technology” allows operators to reimagine their properties as “full-spectrum hospitality destinations”, offering a personalised approach that can be conducive to increased revenue per guest and repeat visits.

“Our 2024 APAC Hospitality Impact Study showed that 68 percent of travellers are willing to pay more for tailored stays – and properties that meet this demand are not only increasing loyalty but future-proofing their business,” the Agilysys executive said.

“When you integrate hospitality technology effectively, the guest journey doesn’t stop at the casino floor – it expands across the entire resort, allowing engagement at every touchpoint,” said Mr Marshall. “Through integrated property management systems and point-of-sale systems, casino resorts can create a holistic experience where gaming and non-gaming activities work in harmony.”

“Let’s say a guest logs into their resort app – they can check their loyalty status, book a dinner, claim spa credits, and receive time-sensitive offers for their favourite blackjack table or slot tournament. These offers aren’t generic; they’re timed and targeted based on real guest data – dining patterns, spend thresholds, even preferred playing hours. This turns casual visitors into loyal guests by making the entire experience feel frictionless and tailored.”

Seamless technology also enables properties to unify player points and resort credits, so guests can use their loyalty status across the non-gaming products – “further tying emotional value to the brand”, said Mr Marshall. “When gaming becomes part of a larger, lifestyle-driven ecosystem, the guest’s connection to the resort strengthens – and that’s where true loyalty lives.”

The Philippines’ Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) says it has approved the initial public offering (IPO) by Hann Holdings Inc, the holding company and parent of Hann Philippines Inc. 

“In its meeting on July 17, the Commission En Banc resolved to render effective the registration statement of Hann Holdings covering up to 2,500,003,000 common shares, subject to the company’s compliance with certain remaining requirements,” stated the regulator in a Friday announcement.

Hann Philippines runs the Hann Casino Resort (pictured) at Clark Freeport Zone, and is developing the Hann Reserve property at New Clark City, in the province of Pampanga. The first facility at Hann Reserve – a golf course designed by former world number-one-ranked golfer Nick Faldo – is expected to open by the end of this year.

According to the SEC’s press release, Hann Holdings is expected to raise up to PHP11.43 billion (US$199.9 million) from the primary offer. The funds are said to be “used for capital expenditures to fund development and expansion plans, and general corporate purposes” of Hann Philippines.

The offer period will run from September 9 to 15, “in time for listing on the main board of the Philippine Stock Exchange on September 23”, according to the timetable submitted to the SEC by the casino developer.

The SEC update said Hann Holdings will offer to the public up to 500,001,000 primary firm offers shares, priced at PHP23.60 each. 

“The offer includes an overallotment option of up to 50,001,000 shares to be offered at the same price by the company’s selling shareholder, Hann Group Holdings W.L.L,” it added.

In a recent interview with GGRAsia, Daesik Han, chairman and chief executive of Hann Philippines, said the company had a “very strong first-mover advantage” in the Clark market.

Mr Han also revealed that the company had decided to develop its announced InterContinental hotel as part of the expansion of the group’s existing Hann Casino Resort, instead of at the under-construction Hann Reserve property.

The firm expects to complete the InterContinental-branded hotel – with about 350 rooms – “by 2029”.

The Hann Casino Resort expansion also includes the construction of a 640-room hotel under the Novotel brand, according to the chairman. The existing complex offers 865 hotel rooms under the Swissôtel, Marriott, and Widus brands. It features a casino with 200 gaming tables and electronic games, and more than 1,000 slot machines.

The group said the casino expansion consists of two new floors. The first floor will feature 35 gaming tables, and an additional 450 slot machines, along with two more restaurants. The second floor – dedicated to private gaming, and with a new restaurant – will include 30 gaming tables, and 140 slot machines.

The Hann Reserve project will feature three 18-hole courses, several upmarket hotels, villas, and a casino. The project will also feature a “commercial centre”, residences, and an international school, according to its promoter.

The firm has already announced a number of hotel brands for Hann Reserve, including the So, Sofitel and Emblems by French hospitality group Accor SA; The Luxury Collection and Westin brands by Marriott International Inc; and a Banyan Tree-branded hotel.

Macau’s VIP baccarat generated gross gaming revenue (GGR) of MOP16.33 billion (US$2.02 billion) in the second quarter of 2025, up 13.0 percent sequentially. The tally rose by 22.7 percent year-on-year, according to data released on Wednesday by the city’s casino regulator, the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau.

GGR in the mass-market casino gambling segment – including slot machine play – stood at nearly MOP44.79 billion in Macau in the three months to June 30, up 3.9 percent from a year earlier. Judged sequentially, the tally was down 3.7 percent.

In the April to June period, VIP baccarat accounted for about 26.7 percent of all Macau GGR in the quarter.

Citigroup had said in a July 9 note that a “slightly unfavourable revenue mix” in terms of Macau player segments during the second quarter – including typically lower-margin VIP gamblers – was likely to have hit industry margins on earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) by 60 basis points. Second-quarter earnings season for Macau’s six gaming operators is yet to start.

For the second quarter of 2025, mass-market revenue – including slots – accounted for 73.3 percent of the MOP61.1 billion aggregate GGR, showed the official data. Revenue specifically from mass-market baccarat, at just under MOP35.59 billion, was about 58.2 percent of total Macau GGR for the period.

Market-wide second-quarter slot machine revenue was just above MOP3.51 billion, representing a market share of nearly 5.8 percent. It was up 9.4 percent from the prior-year period, and a 7.3-percent increase quarter-on-quarter.

A number of brokerages have in recent weeks adjusted their forecasts for Macau GGR this year, expecting the market to produce about US$30 billion.

In June, the Macau government reduced by about 5 percent its forecast for the city’s 2025 GGR. The new estimate is MOP228 billion, versus its projection of MOP240 billion made in November.

Macau’s Judiciary Police force recorded a 62.9-percent year-on-year increase in the number of gaming-related crimes it investigated in the first five months of this year. The rise was mainly driven by cases of gaming-related unlicensed money exchange, said Judiciary Police director Sit Chong Meng, in a Friday briefing.

The Judiciary Police looked at 943 gaming-related crime cases in the January to May period, with 204 of them – or 21.6 percent – being linked to unlicensed money exchange for gambling purposes, added the official.

Mr Sit also noted that his department had investigated 251 gaming-related fraud cases in the period, up 93.1 percent from the year-earlier period.

Unlicensed money exchange for gambling purposes was criminalised via the “Law to Combat Crimes of Illegal Gambling”, in effect from October 29 last year.

At the Friday briefing, Mr Sit mentioned the Judiciary Police had arrested a total of 481 individuals in relation to 323 alleged cases of gaming-related unlicensed money exchange, in a period spanning October last year to May this year.

Macau’s Secretary for Security, Wong Sio Chak, said in a press briefing at the end of May, that the Law to Combat Crimes of Illegal Gambling had been “effective” in addressing gaming-related unlicensed money exchange.

Such money-changing is considered a criminal matter if Macau’s authorities assess it is being pursued as a trade activity, regardless of whether it takes place in or outside casinos, according to article 11 of the law.

A penalty of up to five years’ imprisonment can be imposed on those found guilty of that offence, the law says. They also face a Macau casino-entry ban of “two to 10 years”.

Pragmatic Play Ltd, a supplier to the iGaming industry, says it has launched “Dice City”, which it describes as a “live casino game show”. It is said to feature “unique mechanics and three interactive bonus games”.

In a Thursday press release, the brand said Dice City is played “on a large 6×6 game board”.

According to the announcement, players wager on any of the six bet spots before two dice are rolled to determine the winning field, which will award either a cash prize or entry to one of three bonus games.

“Boosters add to the excitement, randomly multiplying one bet spot by up to 10 times,” stated Pragmatic Play.

The update cited Irina Cornides, Pragmatic Play’s chief operating officer, as saying: “Adding to Pragmatic Play’s diverse and popular range of live casino game shows, Dice City is easy and fun to play, combines original mechanics with three interactive bonus games, and offers wins of up to 10,000x.”

According to the supplier, the bonus games are played on different game boards. In “Dice Battle”, players select one of two dice before they are rolled. Both dice award a prize, with the one landing on a higher number awarding up to 1,000 times.

In “Lucky Drop”, players select a number between 1 and 6, climbing a five-level ladder each time either of the two dice land on that number for a chance to win up to 5,000 times.

In the third bonus game option, dubbed “Boom or Bust”, players pick the blue or red die, seeking to hit ‘Level Up’ symbols for a chance to win up to 10,000 times, said the release.

Pragmatic Play has been expanding its market coverage for its Live Casino product range. The latter features an online live-dealer casino game portfolio.