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MGM-Orix Consortium Could Benefit from Japan Election Results

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The result of Japan’s general elections is positive news for the country’s IR industry and in particular for the chances of the MGM/Orix consortium in Osaka after surprise gains by the Ishin To Party.

The right-wing party almost quadrupled their seats from 11 to 41 making it the third-largest party in the country. In Ishin’s stronghold of Osaka, the party banished the LDP completely and cornered 14 of the 18 seats.

“In the IR space, if Osaka was already the firm favourite prior to the election, it is even more certain now that they will bring the license bacon home and Bill Hornbuckle can start heating up the grill in his backyard and invite his ORIX partners for an early celebration barbecue. The LDP will now need their friendly opposition ‘partner’ more than ever and will be eagerly serving the IR license to Governor Yoshimura in a sterling silver platter,” said industry executive Daniel Cheng, who has been closely following the IR license procedure in Japan.

Overall, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party returned to power, removing other potential political upsets to the licensing timetable.

“The road looks clear for the continuation in the ongoing six-month host bid submission window which will close on 30 April 2022 after which up to three cities and their associated development consortiums will be selected a few months after,” Cheng said.

For Nagasaki and Wakayama, it is more of the same as the aftermath of the election saw an unchanged ratio of ruling vs opposition legislative seats. In the capital, the ruling party lost some ground to the opposition but it is unlikely to prevent Governor Koike from making an IR bid if she so decides to.

Two IR hopefuls on the sidelines saw contrasting fortunes. The LDP lost ground in Fukuoka losing 3 seats when it previously held all 11 seats; conversely, the LDP gained ground in Aichi winning 3 more seats. That puts the latter in better stead should they throw the dice in the pot if less than three licenses are issued from the present bidding round.

“Hokkaido is the other big story in my view, namely Tomakomai City which was the de facto IR site for the prefecture but withdrew over a year ago,” Cheng said. “There are many anticipating a Hokkaido comeback in the IR race at some juncture whether 7 years later or sooner, circumstances permitting.

At the prefectural level, the election results were even-stevens where the LDP and the opposition started and ended with 6 seats each, but not in the same districts. Particularly, Hokkaido District 9 which encompasses Tomakomai City fell into the hands of main opposition political party, CDP. This was despite having both Prime Minister Kishida and former Prime Minister Abe campaigning in Tomakomai City last week to rally support for LDP incumbent, Manabu Horii.

This will add another headache for Tomakomai Mayor Iwakura in his crusade to bring an integrated resort into his town as the CDP is staunchly anti-IR.”

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Macau Government Extends Lottery Concession of Macau Slot Until 5 June 2026

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The Macau government has extended the lottery concession of Macau Slot Co Ltd for one year until 5 June 2026.

The concession renewal was published in the official gazette on Wednesday. Further extensions may be granted, subject to mutual agreement between the Macau government and Macau Slot.

As part of the renewal terms, Macau Slot is required to gradually reduce its number of non-resident employees and actively collaborate with the government to recruit and retain local talent.

Earlier this month, the government held a meeting with Macau Slot representatives to discuss the extension. According to the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ), the city’s industry regulator, Macau Slot committed to cutting 35% of its non-local, non-skilled workforce—equivalent to 26 positions—by the first quarter of 2026. The company also pledged to make further reductions to its foreign labour quota in the future. Currently, non-local staff account for 15% of the total workforce at Macau Slot.

“Over the past year, despite fluctuations in the macroeconomic environment and slower economic recovery in neighbouring regions, the local economy has remained relatively stable under the guidance of the Macau SAR government’s policies,” Macau Slot said in a statement.

“Looking ahead, we are committed to further diversifying our sports betting products to meet customer demand, while upgrading our information technology infrastructure to stay current and deliver more comprehensive sports betting services.”

The post Macau Government Extends Lottery Concession of Macau Slot Until 5 June 2026 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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QTech Games strengthens its elite suite with Bigpot Gaming

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Emerging-markets leader expands its all-encompassing library with exciting new slots portfolio

QTech Games, the leading game aggregator for all emerging markets, has signed its latest provider partnership with Bigpot Gaming, enabling its platform customers to access the supplier’s innovative and multi-faceted slots catalogue.

Bigpot Gaming, an exciting challenger studio in the igaming arena, draws from a deep well of slot games – including titles such as Quests Of Olympus, Mega Sevens, Golden Kitty and Journey To The Abyss – which form an eclectic range of popular titles.

Bigpot Gaming specialises in developing high-quality online slot and table games which are RNG-certified and fully compliant with international regulatory standards. To underscore this commitment to fairness, Bigpot Gaming is certified by four recognised test laboratories in GLI, BMM, GA and iTech Labs.

The agreement also broadens Bigpot Gaming’s global scope, targeting emerging markets and creating new revenue streams. As the fastest-growing aggregator over the past few years, QTech’s platform offers the most expansive gaming portfolio around, localised for each region, retention and marketing tools, and 24/7 local-language support.

QTech Games CEO, Philip Doftvik, said: “It’s another feather in our cap to have integrated more premium content, this time from Bigpot Gaming. We will continue to raise the bar and shape a localised experience for global players. And we can’t wait to witness how these games perform across a range of untapped markets which, in many cases, represent new territory for Bigpot Gaming.”

David Shon, Global Sales Executive at Bigpot Gaming, added: “Bigpot Gaming stands out as a fast-growing rookie studio for slots games and a real revenue-driver for digital casinos, always offering players a fresh yet familiar gaming experience.

“This collaboration marks another crucial step in our company’s worldwide growth strategy, and. Bigpot Gaming is targeting the finest content aggregators to improve our visibility and influence in the sector, and QTech Games sets the gold standard for emerging markets.”

The post QTech Games strengthens its elite suite with Bigpot Gaming appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Polemos Announces Partnership with Guinevere Capital

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Polemos, a Web3 gaming infrastructure platform, has announced a strategic partnership with Guinevere Capital, a prominent esports and gaming investment firm known for its investments and advisory roles in projects such as GiantX, iTero, Perion, Skybox and various other projects across the industry. Guinevere Capital has established a strong reputation for its work across global Web2 gaming titles, including League of Legends, Valorant, Rocket League and many more. This partnership aims to leverage the combined expertise of Polemos.io and Guinevere Capital to enhance and further monetise audiences across publishers, infrastructure players, gaming companies, studios and platforms.

The collaboration will focus on integrating advanced asset management and engagement tools from Polemos.io’s Forge platform with Guinevere Capital’s extensive network and experience in both Web2 and esports ecosystems. This will create new monetisation opportunities and improve player experiences by bridging traditional gaming with blockchain-enabled innovations.

Carl Wilgenbus, CEO of Polemos.io, said: “Partnering with Guinevere Capital marks a significant milestone in our mission to expand access to gaming rewards and unlock new revenue streams for the entire gaming industry. Together, we will empower publishers and studios to better engage their audiences and capitalize on the evolving landscape of gaming and esports.”

“Polemos has built an impressive piece of infrastructure that has plugged a huge gap in the gaming sector. We look forward to working with them to commercialise this,” said Dave Harris, a partner at Guinevere Capital.

Dave’s previous experience includes investing in and operating top teams and leagues in the Riot Games and Activision Blizzard ecosystems.

Guinevere Capital’s strategic involvement will accelerate the adoption of blockchain gaming infrastructure while supporting the growth of esports and gaming communities worldwide. This alliance underscores a shared vision to drive innovation, education and monetisation in the gaming sector by combining Web2’s reach with Web3’s potential.

The post Polemos Announces Partnership with Guinevere Capital appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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