For the past several decades, rapid growth in international travel by Chinese residents has fueled the tourism and gaming industries in Asia. As with the rest of the world, this came to a grinding halt in 2020 as a result of the pandemic. However, unlike much of the rest of the world, the return of…
Just returned from yet another Japan Gaming Congress. Things seem to have progressed somewhat slowly since last year’s Congress, but as compared to last year when prognosticators were all over the board as to when integrated casino resorts would ultimately pop up in Japan (2024-2030), there didn’t appear to be much variance this time around…
Nothing can truly prepare you for some of life’s major milestones. First job, first house, first child, first start-up . . . At Convergence Strategy Group, we are celebrating one year in business and I’m taking a moment to look back on where we started, and the lessons learned on the way. I have learned…
At Convergence Strategy Group, we are a team of lifelong learners. We are always seeking more information, better ways of doing things, and insights from across the globe. In the spirit of the holidays, Convergence Strategy Group would like to share a few of our go-to online resources – a few of our “favorite things”…
Following through on campaign promises, Donald Trump started announcing new tariffs on Chinese goods in early 2018, with tit-for-tat additional tariffs announcements on goods from both sides ever since. Both countries have actually experienced some economic growth as a result of the trade war, largely due to desires of businesses to increase output and trade…
This past Tuesday, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte fired the board and management of the Nayong Pilipino Foundation because he was unhappy with the lack of a public bid process and the resulting license terms for the Landing International casino resort project in Entertainment City near Manila. But what followed on Wednesday, I would assume reverberated…
While Convergence Stategy Group is new firm, Dr. Scott Fisher and I have been active in the development, casino gaming, economics, and planning sectors for more than two decades. Recently, we were fortunate to sit down with Roger Gros of Global Gaming Business to discuss what we have in store. You can access the Global…
The Japan Gaming Congress packed the conference room at the Conrad Tokyo this week with more than 500 attendees, many of which showed enthusiasm that the Diet will pass the Integrated Resort gaming bill in June. If this happens (maybe a 60% chance? The clock is ticking….) it will pave the way for the formation…