Nambling Notes | July 28, 2008

REACQUIRED Octopi Holdings, a multiplayer online and mobile games developer in Arizona, has reacquired the assets it sold to Fun Technologies Inc. in January 2006.

Financial details were not disclosed, though at the time of acquisition two years ago, Fun parted with an upfront payment of $3 million, with an earn-out of $3 million.

FALLING According to Macau's Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau, second-quarter casino revenue for the Special Administrative Region fell 3.1 percent to $3.59 billion versus $3.71 million the previous quarter.

Against the same period last year, however, gaming revenue from Macau's 30 casinos rose 47.6 percent.

"The quarterly decline in Macau's casino revenue is because of the Sichuan earthquake, which has had a one-off negative impact on mainland tourist visits to Macau," Gabriel Chan, an analyst with Credit Suisse, told the South China Morning Post.

This is also the first quarter-on-quarter decline in revenue since Macau opened its market to international operators like Wynn Resorts Ltd. and MGM in 2005.

LAUNCHED CircusCasino.com, the online arm of Genting Stanley, has launched a "second-chance" £100,000 poker tournament.

The tournament will take place across Genting's Circus, Maxim and Mint land-based casino properties.

Players who don't qualify at the land-based events will have a second chance to qualify online for the final, which is scheduled to run Oct. 30 to Nov. 2, 2008.