“Victims of human trafficking, including those involved in the commercial sex industry, do not choose to participate. Rather, they are manipulated, brainwashed and forced based on unforeseen and, oftentimes, seemingly inescapable circumstances. We are 
deeply committed to eliminating sex trafficking and all other forms of human trafficking in our industry and beyond.” With those words, Jan Jones Blackhurst announced Caesars Entertainment‘s entrance into the battle against human trafficking. The company will team with the International Tourism Partnership to help put a stop to this plague on humanity. Caesars will also partner with ECPAT-USA, which fights the sexual exploitation of minors. ECPAT-USA’s Michelle Guelbart welcomed its new comrade: “As the first global gaming-entertainment company to sign the code, Caesars Entertainment’s efforts will be amplified through our network as we identify and respond to human trafficking and child exploitation. ECPAT-USA is excited about the new partnership and the comprehensive angle Caesars is taking to address the issue.”
Adds CasinoBeats.com, “Caesars also stresses that it has been actively developing comprehensive policies and protocols, including collaboration with advocacy groups and national frameworks, to combat the issue for several years.” Bravo to them.
* Macao casinos will have to enter an era of modified expectations, analysts. Thanks in part to the ongoing trade war with the U.S., revenue growth will probably only be in single digits. “Investors will now focus on what lies ahead, with more difficult [comparisons] 
and any update on concession renewals, as they continue to grow closer. It also remains to be seen if the weakening Chinese economy will impact the growth rate further in 2019,” wrote Telsey Advisory Group analysts Alec Cummings and Brian McGill. Despite predicting only 5% revenue growth this month, Nomura analysts forecast “For 2019, we expect much better stock price performance and multiple expansion for those Macau operators with ramping properties.” (Good news for Wynn Palace, Parisian and MGM Cotai.) JP Morgan analysts counseled patience, predicting double-digit growth returning in 2020: “We see a substantial amount of (what we see as unnecessary) fears baked into current stock levels, and better-than-feared industry trends and cessation of negative surprises should alleviate pressure on consensus estimates and drive up valuations.”
* Italy‘s gambling industry absorbed several swift kicks to the balls from the central government. Advertising for gambling will be banned outright and taxes on gross gaming revenue go from 20% to 25%. Sports-betting levies go from 18% to 20%. Operators must grin and bear it, although some — like Playtech — are already reporting adverse financial results.
* Gaming misconduct is getting out of hand in the Netherlands. A record $1.9 million in fines was handed down last year. That breaks down to 23 fines split between William Hill and seven other operators (all too obscure to mention). William Hill plans to appeal. Meanwhile, the most piquant fine was handed down to a Dutchman who decided he’d go into business as a slot-parlor operator without benefit of a license. We bet he’s thinking better of that idea now.
* Nevada‘s got nothing on Cambodia when it comes to casinos. The Asian country is reporting the addition of 52 new casino licenses last year, bringing to total to a nice, round 150. Most are concentrated around Sihanoukville. The gaming explosion translated to $56 million in taxes and fees — as well as to a dramatic influx of Chinese investment and labor, a development at which some are looking askance.
The largest city in Cambodia is Phnom Penh which has a population of around 1.5 million people so there is probably numerous casinos there also. Thanks for the information and Happy New Year.