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George Hasselback is done with Imperial Pacific International (IPI). The attorney has been representing the controversial and incompetent casino operator as it defended itself in a lawsuit filed by Fox Financial, as well as others, but has now washed his hands and stepped away. He had filed a request to withdraw from representing the company on February 12, and a judge granted his petition yesterday. Magistrate Judge Heather Kennedy agreed with Hasselback in his assertion that continued representation would put him in an ethical conundrum.
Judge Kennedy explained in her ruling, “The court finds that Hasselback’s statements that continued representation in this matter would cause him to violate several ethical obligations trigger mandatory withdrawal under Model Rule 1.16(a) and is sufficient for granting his motion.” She added, “Hasselback need not be required to provide details, beyond his written motion, to establish that mandatory withdrawal is warranted,” and stated that requiring him “to specify the basis for his mandatory withdrawal could create the untenable situation of an attorney having to choose between his obligation of candor to the court and his obligation to maintain his client’s confidences.”
Unfortunately, because of that attorney-client privilege, it is difficult to know what types of ethical dilemmas Hasselback is facing. However, it’s likely just the mere hint at issues will be enough for IPI to find itself, once again, being more closely scrutinized. Where that leads is anyone’s guess, given gaming regulators’ reluctance to hold the company accountable for its actions.
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The model is also evolving beyond gaming. RWS’ S$6.8 billion RWS 2.0 transformation is expanding its mix of attractions, hospitality, retail and lifestyle offerings, with the aim to “broaden the appeal of the destination and encourage repeat visitation”.
Ultimately, the operator says, the long-term success of an IR depends on “a broader mix of hospitality, entertainment, lifestyle and attraction offerings” rather than gaming alone.
Genting Singapore believes the key for Japan is not to replicate another market entirely, but to create a framework suited to its own circumstances. “Every integrated resort market is different,” the spokesperson says, adding that policymakers need to “maximise the economic benefits of IRs while minimising their potential social costs.”
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Bengtsson said the split between casino and sports betting for SunBet was roughly 90% to 10% in favour of casino, with Sun International “under-indexing on sportsbook”.
But Sun International views that as an opportunity, with Bengtsson stating: “We think the market overall is probably somewhere around 35%-40% sportsbook.
“So that is the delta we have to close by delivering a better product and better operational intensity in our sports business.”
