Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim revealed to Bloomberg that there won’t be a second casino licence in the region issued by the government.
Ibrahim shot down previous speculation and reports that had stated there was potential for the expansion of licensing.
Responding to questions about the further potential for licences, he emphasised the lack of ‘necessity for Malaysia to venture into the casino business’.
He stated that the country’s focus remains on ‘digital transformation, energy transition, AI, and we believe that this is adequate to push the country forward’.
Currently, the only licence holder in the region is Genting, which holds one resort in Malaysia.
Genting has enjoyed success in Asia in recent years, as the region has been bolstered by an accelerated recovery from the pandemic, significantly fuelled by the growth of its Singapore activity.
The group recently reported that revenue rose by 92 per cent to $247.4m compared to the previous year – underlining key engagement for the group in the region.