Macau’s gaming sector is likely to see a slowdown in EBITDA growth in June and July due to the mainland’s crackdown on illegal money exchange operations in Macau, according to a recent forecast by Morgan Stanley.

China’s Ministry of Public Security has launched a major campaign to target “money exchange gangs” providing large-scale cash exchange and loan sharking services to mainland Chinese gamblers in Macau. These illicit activities have been facilitating the flow of funds out of China, which authorities view as a threat to financial stability.

The crackdown has already yielded results, with police across China reporting successful operations that have uncovered millions in illegal exchange activities and the arrest of dozens of suspects. However, analysts warn that disrupting these unofficial currency exchange channels could potentially lead to a slowdown in mainland Chinese travel to Macau’s gaming industry.

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Praveen K Choudhary, Gareth Leung and Stephen W Grambling of Morgan Stanley project that the second quarter will see the first negative quarter-on-quarter growth in both mass gross gaming revenue (GGR) and corporate EBITDA since the post-Covid-19 reopening. Mass GGR is expected to decline 2% quarter-on-quarter, reaching 113% of 2019 levels, while corporate EBITDA is forecast to decrease 7% quarter-on-quarter, reaching 80% of pre-pandemic levels.

The brokerage firm predicts that June and July will see a slowdown due to the money exchange crackdown, while weaker macroeconomic conditions, consumption, and retail sales in China could persist in the third quarter and further impact the Macau market.

China Media Group, Esports World Cup Foundation and VSPO have signed a strategic cooperation agreement on Friday as the new China Media Group National Institute for Esports Development kicked off in Beijing.

China Media Group (CMG), which operates state television networks including CCTV, formally unveiled the new CMG National Institute for Esports Development on Friday. The Institute then signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Esports World Cup Federation and VSPO during the establishment ceremony, vowing to jointly organise and participate in future esports events.

The establishment ceremony was attended by Shen Haixiong, vice minister of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and president of CMG, Sun Shuo, CPC Secretary of Xicheng District and Xue Jijun, head of the institute, among other government officials.

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The three organisations have been long-time advocates for the healthy development of the esports industry. VSPO already works with the Esports World Cup Foundation in organising the inaugural Esports World Cup, an eight-week mega event currently underway in Riyadh with a record-breaking prize pool of more than $60 million.

“It’s a huge honor to be a strategic partner with the Chinese Media Group and the Esports World Cup Foundation with the establishment of the CMG National Institute for Esports Development, which marks another key sign of Beijing’s support for esports development,” Chairman of VSPO, Asia’s biggest esports operator, Dino Ying said.

Top distributor for emerging markets secures well-known and respected sales leader to continue expansion of its global footprint 

QTech Games, the leading distributor for all emerging markets, has appointed Crystal Nadal to the position of Sales Director.

Crystal is a well-known and respected operator in the industry, armed with a wealth of international expertise within business development and sales that is uniquely fine-tuned for Asia’s patchwork make-up of territories.

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Crystal arrives at QTech Games after successful recent stints at Tom Horn Gaming, where she acted as Head of Business Development for Asia; Aura Gaming, where she was COO; and Solid Gaming where she held a range of senior marketing roles across an array of varied content – including live-dealer and assorted igaming solutions for the fragmented Asian market. In each case, she diligently built the brand’s reputation in gaming markets from India to the Far East, demonstrating a keen eye for strategy and new sales across both digital and land-based sectors.

Now Crystal brings those skills to bear at the industry’s leading platform and distributor for growth territories. She will be responsible for managing QTech Games’ existing partners throughout the world’s largest continent, and spearheading the expansion of QTech Games’ burgeoning influence into other untapped “margin” markets.

Crystal Nadal said: “I’ve always based my business relationships on the ability to add value. Working with QTech Games, I’ve not only found the premier distributor for delivering localised games in Asia, but also a strong, experienced team that are client-focused and share an ongoing commitment to tailor their offering to make it work for the customer.

“My new colleagues at QTech Games have excellent relationships across the sector, and their proprietary platform has quickly become the trailblazer in our home territory of Asia. They’re trusted, supportive, collaborative and well-regarded. I can’t get behind a better story than that.”

Philip Doftvik, CEO of QTech Games, commented: “We’re thrilled that Crystal has joined the QTech Games team and she’s hit the ground running. With her winning mindset and attitude, she is also a perfect fit in our company culture. Her experience and contacts in sales and business development are second to none in the Asia landscape, so she’ll be a real asset to both the company and all our clients.

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“Securing the best executive talent has always been a main driver of our ability to scale. Therefore, we’re naturally delighted that Crystal is now taking the wheel for further business development and sales in our core continent.”