The Macau Metro Monitor, February 7, 2012
SINGAPORE TOURISM VISITORS JUMP TO RECORD 13 MILLION IN 2011 AS CASINOS LURE GAMBLERS Washington Post
A record number of visitors came to Singapore last year as new casinos lured gamblers, the Singapore tourism authority said. Visitor arrivals rose to 13.2MM, up 13% from 2010. About 2.6MM Indonesians visited Singapore last year, followed by tourists from China, Malaysia and Australia. Arrivals from China surged 35% in 2011.
NEW RULES FOR SLOTS IN MACAU Macau Business
The Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau has released new Macau-specific technical standards for electronic gaming machines. Among the new rules, it is stated that “any electronic gaming machine [that] plays a game that is recognizable to be a simulation of a live casino game ... must have an identical RTP [return to player rate]”. The new rules will come into effect on Friday but a grace period applies until October 1.