On the latest episode of iGaming Daily, supported by Optimove, Joe Streeter and Ted Orme-Claye, the Editors of CasinoBeats and Insider Sport respectively, convened to look into the latest news on casino expansion in Asia before looking ahead to a stellar weekend of combat sports.

In Japan and Thailand, plans are underway for the construction of new casino complexes, set to be finished in 2030.

In Japan, MGM decided to waive its right to withdraw from the Japanese casino sector and is now expected to formalise its plans for a $10bn casino project in Osaka.

Meanwhile, reports suggest that the new Prime Minister of Thailand, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, is set to commence plans on seven casino projects in the country, with the aim of boosting Thailand’s entertainment and tourism industries.

On the expansion in Thailand, Joe said: “They’re going to be mega projects and they’re going to be entertainment complexes which are going to be a real boost to the economy. It’s going to be good news for the sector. Resort land-based companies are going to have a keen eye on that development and they’re going to be looking to Thailand as a region for potential prosperity. 

“One of the interesting things from Shinawatra’s statement is that she’s likely to put forward that they are allowed 10% of floor space for gambling so these places are not going to be out-and-out casino venues, they’re going to be so much more and they’re going to really bring something to the fun economy.”

In the second half of the show, the duo’s attention turned to a double-header of combat sports in Las Vegas, where the UFC’s event at the Las Vegas Sphere collides with Canelo Alvarez’s fight against Edgar Berlanga.

Both cards are stacked with superstars and the pair agreed that it will be “fascinating” to see how the pair compare commercially on the night in terms of ticket and pay-per-view sales. 

Joe suggested that, despite being a global superstar, interest in the Alvarez fight may be weakened by the fact that he is expected to easily beat his opponent. Additionally, the UFC event at the Sphere is the first time the venue has hosted combat sport so he speculated that many may be tuning in to see such a groundbreaking moment. 

Betting has a long history with combat sports and the back-to-back action on Saturday night offers an opportunity for sports betting operators to cash in. 

“Betting-wise, you’re going to have time to watch two UFC fights and then tune into some boxing,” explained Joe. 

“You’re going to be able to engage with both and combine your bets on both events. There’s going to be an opportunity for operators who want to tap into this late-night combat sports crowd. If they’re going to maximise it, they’ve got to make sure that props are up early [and they] could even give some cross-promotion options.”

Ted agreed that there is a big scope for marketing and customer acquisition around the event by utilising promotion offers, such as “bet on Sean O’Malley to win by knock-out and get X amount of free bets”.