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Hainan resorts are setting up baccarat tables
They’re not quite casinos, but they’re pretty close – and they could be coming to China sooner than some expected.
On the tropical island of Hainan, at least five Chinese-owned resorts are laying the groundwork for so-called entertainment bars, where players put down real money on games but receive their winnings in the form of points that can be redeemed in local shops, restaurants and hotels, according to people with direct knowledge of the plans.
The resorts’ owners have contacted suppliers of baccarat tables, drawn up blueprints to convert ballrooms into gaming floors and held informal discussions with Hainan officials in recent months, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing private information.
While China currently outlaws casinos outside Macau, the resorts are betting that Hainan will win an exemption for entertainment bars as part of a government push to turn the island known as “China’s Hawaii” about 2,700km south of Beijing into a major tourist destination.
If they’re right, it would mark another big shift in the country’s approach to gaming after officials unveiled landmark measures to promote horse racing and sports lotteries in Hainan two months ago.
It’s unclear whether provincial and national authorities would sign off on such projects – also known as “cashless casinos” – and they’ve given no public indication that a policy change is imminent.
But the recent flurry of activity follows a favourable court ruling on entertainment bars in December, which was interpreted by some observers as an official stamp of approval.
“From our conversations with people on the ground, they are positively excited about the changes that appear to be coming through soon,” said Ben Lee, a Macau-based managing partner at consultancy IGamiX, which has been working with developers in Hainan for a decade. Entertainment bars “would undoubtedly draw mainlanders who have never been overseas to try gaming,” he said.
Casual Punters
The games could provide a boost to Hainan’s tourism-related businesses, while at the same time allowing regulators to avoid many of the money-laundering and capital-outflow risks associated with traditional gambling operations.
Entertainment bars are unlikely to appeal to China’s high rollers, but they could lure casual punters who dislike the hassle of obtaining visas and foreign currencies for overseas trips.
A green light from authorities would probably unnerve investors in casino enclaves like Macau, the Philippines and Cambodia that rely heavily on Chinese customers. While the short-term competitive threat from Hainan would be manageable, that could change if entertainment bars pave the way for an eventual approval of full-blown casinos on the island.
“We may see more interesting developments in the next five to 10 years,” Lee said.
Government representatives in Hainan and Beijing didn’t respond to faxed requests for comment.
An index of Macau casino operators fell as much as 2.1 per cent on Tuesday to a seven-week low, led by SJM Holdings Ltd., Wynn Macau Ltd. and Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd.
Entertainment Bars
Entertainment bars have a checkered history in Hainan. They debuted on the island about five years ago, at the Sanya Bay Mangrove Resort Hotel, where guests could play games including baccarat and swap their winnings for things like hotel rooms, iPads and jewellery.
But that operation was shut down in 2014 as local prosecutors accused the resort of breaking the law. Several other Hainan resorts were also forced to put their plans for entertainment bars on hold.
It took several years for the Mangrove case to work its way through China’s legal system, but in December, a Hainan court ruled that the resort’s gaming operation didn’t break the law after all, according to a court filing posted on a government website.
In another sign of China’s evolving stance, an online version of the points-based gaming model is now being tested by a sports-betting platform in Hainan that’s backed by organisations affiliated with the provincial and central governments.
Called the Hainan International Tourism Island Sports and Gaming Entertainment Project, it will allow players to deposit funds from their AliPay or WePay accounts into a smartphone app and use the money to wager on soccer and basketball games. Winnings can only be spent at select locations, mainly in Hainan, according to Yan Zhi, the project’s founder.
Still, it’s unclear whether China’s leaders will ultimately sign off on entertainment bars, according to Margaret Huang, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence in Hong Kong.
“The government will face challenges to decide their attitude toward a gambling-themed model,” she said. “The balance between regulation and economic development is hard.”
Some observers say the time is ripe for a change. Entertainment bars would not only dovetail with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s efforts to boost Hainan’s economy, they would also help the country develop more homegrown champions in the consumer services sector – another government priority.
While the bulk of gambling revenue in Macau still goes to foreign casino owners like Las Vegas Sands Corp. and MGM Resorts International, Chinese resorts have a dominant presence in Hainan.
To get a feel for the resorts’ optimism that entertainment bars will make a comeback, one only has to walk by the ballroom that housed the Mangrove’s gaming operations back in 2013. Instead of converting the giant space into something new, the resort simply covered it with a black curtain, which could presumably be quickly removed if policy makers give the go ahead. Representatives at the resort declined to comment.
“It’s now a consensus among companies and businessmen in Hainan,” said Liu Feng, director of the Hainan Normal University Free Trade Port Research Centre.
“The expectation is for looser policies and a more open business environment, to build Hainan into an international tourism and consumption destination.”
Source: Latest News on European Gaming Media Network

Latest News
2025 Gaming in Spain Conference: Mikel Arana confirmed as keynote speaker
The 2025 Gaming in Spain Conference, which is set to take place June 26 in Madrid, will bring you the latest news on Spain’s regulated iGaming market.
Mikel Arana confirmed as keynote speaker
The event’s keynote will be delivered by Mr. Mikel Arana, Director General of Span’s Directorate for the Regulation of Gambling (DGOJ).
Mr. Arana will explain both the latest regulatory developments and the resulting obligations for Spanish-licensed online operators.
Other topics & speakers
A series of far-reaching advertising restrictions that were initially overturned by Spain’s Supreme Court last year appear close to being reintroduced as part of a new public health law. The introduction of these restrictions s expected to have a significant impact on Spain’s regulated market.
Other regulatory measures that have been recently introduced or that are currently in preparation include a single spending limit across all games, as well as (future) cross-operator deposit limits and the introduction of a single regulator-approved problem gambling detection algorithm.
To discuss these and other topics, we have currently confirmed the following speakers: Jorge Hinojosa, Director General, JDigital; Xavi Muñoz, Partner, ECIJA; Camille Gonzálvez, Gambling Lawyer, ECIJA; and Josh Hodgson, COO, H2 Gambling Capital.
Additional speakers will be announced soon!
Dedicated LatAm sessions
In addition to our Spain-focused main program, the 2025 GiS Conference will also feature several sessions specifically dedicated to LatAm markets.
Country-specific breakout sessions on Brazil, Colombia, and Peru will be part of the program. Expect in-depth sessions on the latest regulatory developments and data-driven market analysis!
Willem van Oort, Founder of Gaming in Spain commented: “Although Spain remains, of course, the focus of our event, I am very glad that we are also looking a bit farther this year. For Spain-facing operators, LatAm is an exciting region to consider for expansion. Happily, we have speakers who are fully updated on local regulations and market conditions.”
Extensive networking opportunities
The 2025 GiS Conference offers extensive networking opportunities. Meet the Spanish market’s key decision makers in person!
Practical information
The 2025 GiS Conference will take place June 26 at Auditorium ECIJA, located on Calle de Serrano, Madrid’s “golden street” in the commercial heart of Spain’s vibrant capital.
Registration for the 2025 Gaming in Spain Conference is already open.
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Mindway AI Achieves ISO 27001 Certification for Excellence in Information Security Management
Mindway AI, a leading innovator in artificial intelligence solutions for player safety, is proud to announce that it has achieved ISO 27001 certification, a highly respected standard for information security management systems (ISMS). This certification underscores Mindway AI’s commitment to upholding the highest standards of information security across its infrastructure, applications, and systems that guarantee the seamless delivery of our products and services.
ISO 27001 is an internationally recognised standard that sets the framework for an effective ISMS, focusing on continual improvement, assessment of security risks, and implementation of necessary controls to safeguard information assets. By attaining this certification, Mindway AI demonstrates its dedication to maintaining the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of customer data and sensitive information.
“Achieving ISO 27001 certification is a huge and very significant milestone for us over here at Mindway AI,” said Rasmus Kjaergaard, CEO of Mindway AI. “In today’s digital age, robust information security is critical to building trust with our customers. This certification validates our rigorous processes and unwavering commitment to protecting our clients’ information and delivering our solutions with the utmost security.”
The certification process involved a very comprehensive work and workload before the audit conducted by an independent third-party auditor, assessing Mindway AI’s ISMS and all its policies against the stringent requirements of the ISO 27001 standard. The scope of this certification encompasses the infrastructure, applications, policies, processes, and systems that play a core role in delivering Mindway AI’s innovative AI-driven products and services to our valued customers.
Mindway AI continues to invest in its security infrastructure and aims to exceed industry standards, ensuring that its clients can rely on the company as a trusted partner. Customers can expect top-tier protection of their data, supported by rigorous security protocols and continuous improvements.
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Marc Burroughes appointed Chief Commercial Officer Casino at EveryMatrix
Marc Burroughes has been appointed Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of EveryMatrix’s Casino division, driven by CasinoEngine, the group’s flagship integration platform powering global tier-1 operators to record growth.
Burroughes has spent close to two decades in the iGaming industry including senior roles at IGT, Light & Wonder and OpenBet with extensive commercial experience setting strategies and managing tier-1 customers in integrating content from leading game studios, platforms and aggregation solutions.
Reporting to casino business unit CEO Stian Enger, he will be responsible for commercial strategy across EveryMatrix’s CasinoEngine business unit that generated €2.8 billion in Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) for customers in 2024, processing more than 73 billion game rounds.
His new CCO role involves a multitude of responsibilities including defining and setting the commercial strategy for CasinoEngine; delivering the forthcoming EngageSuite ecosystem to existing and new clients; working closely with the SlotMatrix and EveryMatrix Games teams to help customers move to a full platform solution and more.
Ebbe Groes, Group CEO and Co-Founder, EveryMatrix, said: “Marc has a strong track record working in senior positions for some of the industry’s major providers and delivering premium casino solutions for tier-1 brands.
“As we continue to grow at pace, and as our casino business unit goes from strength-to-strength, we’re looking to accelerate this even further in the months and years ahead under Marc’s commercial leadership.”
Marc Burroughes, CCO, Casino, EveryMatrix, said: “When the opportunity came to join EveryMatrix on their journey to rapid growth there was only one answer I could give.
“The group’s casino division is among the best I’ve seen in my 17 years in the industry and it still has room to significantly grow. I want to maximise all the opportunities we’ve identified and I’m confident we can achieve some big targets.”
The post Marc Burroughes appointed Chief Commercial Officer Casino at EveryMatrix appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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