Thai parliament adviser on casinos attending G2E Singapore

May 04, 2023 Newsdesk G2E Asia 2023: Singapore, Japan, Latest News, Rest of Asia, Singapore, Top of the deck  

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An adviser to a Thailand parliamentary committee mulling the legalisation of casino business in that country is to be a panellist on the first day of industry conference and trade show Global Gaming Expo (G2E) Asia 2023 Special Edition: Singapore, on May 30.

Udorn Olsson, described by the event organisers Reed Exhibitions and the American Gaming Association as adviser to the casino committee of Thailand’s House of Representatives, will be a panellist in the final session of the first day. The session is titled “Spotlight on Thailand and Japan: gaming outlook and economic impacts to other Asian markets”.

A general election is due in Thailand on May 14. Some commentators have suggested that once campaigning is concluded, the way could be paved for Thailand to make progress on liberalisation of casino gambling.

In January, a member of the House of Representatives – the lower chamber of the bicameral parliament – was quoted saying it could be up to three years before any decision is made.

Other scheduled contributors for the Thailand-Japan discussion session at G2E Asia in Singapore include Japanese scholar Toru Mihara, a prominent commentator on Japan’s own casino legalisation process. It produced two suitor-communities – Osaka and Nagasaki – relative to a permitted maximum of three schemes under that country’s liberalisation move.

Mr Mihara is described on G2E Asia’s Singapore edition website as chairman of a Japan body called the National Council on Gaming Legislation.

Bill Miller, president and chief executive of the American Gaming Association, will give a keynote speech on day one. Praveen Choudhary, a Hong Kong-based analyst at banking group Morgan Stanley, will also speak at an afternoon session that day.

A session on day two, May 31, called “Innovation and the future of gaming in Asia” will feature regional bosses of major gaming equipment suppliers.

The pre-lunch discussion is to include Ken Jolly, vice president and managing director for Asia at Light & Wonder Inc; Lloyd Robson, general manager for Asia at Aristocrat Leisure Ltd; Michael Cheers, sales director for Asia at International Game Technology Plc; and Michael Hu, president of Asia Pacific at Interblock dd.

The Singapore edition of G2E Asia runs for three days, to June 1 inclusive, at the Marina Bay Sands casino resort (pictured) in Singapore, a property run by Las Vegas Sands Corp, which also controls a Macau concession licence.

The Singapore conference and trade show will be held just weeks before the first in-person edition of a G2E Asia-branded event to be held in Macau since 2019.

“Asian IR Expo + G2E Asia 2023” is to be held from July 11 to 13, at the Venetian Macao, run by Las Vegas Sands unit Sands China Ltd.

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