At last, someone is expressing skepticism over the pie-in-the-sky attitude U.S. gaming companies exude toward the Pacific Rim. The inescapable Sheldon Adelson said “ten Las Vegases” would not sate demand, But Union Gaming analysts Grant Govertsen and John DeCree think that $65.5 billion in 
oncoming casino projects is four times too much. And that’s a list that Muhammad Cohen, our favorite gaming columnist, says “errs on the side of caution.” As Govertsen and DeCree write, “The reality is that the current pipeline in just the existing markets (forget about Japan for now) requires [cash flow] in Asia to literally double, even as the boom years in China GDP growth are behind it, and as so many of Asia’s wealthy individuals have already been captured.”
Crunching the numbers (see here), the Union Gaming analysts assume a roseate 20% return on investment and still find the revenue projections aggressive. Consider that MGM Resorts International has committed on several occasions to investing $10 billion for a single megaresort in Japan, $1.5 billion more than it spent on all of CityCenter. Other Japanese suitors (like Lawrence Ho) have been still more reckless. At least Nippon is a safe bet, say the analysts, because it is “highly localized” and Japanese citizens are not big contributors to other Pacific Rim casino markets.
When one turns to evolving markets, like Cambodia (where U.S. investors are leery), it gets more complicated still. “For too long Asia has been an unbelievably forgiving place to be a casino operator, thanks primarily to China’s rise,” write DeCree and Govertsen. “With a supply glut on the horizon, factors like the quality of management and physical plant have never been more important.” True, but can U.S. companies deliver that without giving away the store?
* Injury reports in collegiate sports are an illicit commodity. That, argues one columnist, makes the data highly coveted by bookies and gamblers, setting up the NCAA for a betting scandal. We agree to the extent that the league should display an abundance of caution and adopt NFL-style injury-report rules.
Speaking of injury reports, don’t tear your rotator cuff while mousing to the Web site of Dr. David Chao, who is offering real-time analysis of pulled hamstrings and such, to help you make 
more informed fantasy and real-world sports bets. Not only is Chao a board-certified orthopedic surgeon, he was team doctor to the San Diego Chargers for 17 years (and Lord knows how many Philip Rivers temper tantrums). “Dr. Chao has become a sought-after and dependable resource for fans and media by quickly using game video to provide an opinion on the type and severity of a player’s injury – as well as the short- and long-term impact for that athlete and his team. With a proven accuracy over 95%, these actionable insights aren’t available from teams, media or elsewhere,” say his publicists.
Chao has both a free subscription service and a @ProFootballDoc Twitter feed. “Our goal is to provide insider knowledge that fans cannot get anywhere else, give it to them in real-time, place it within the larger context and allow them to make the most informed decisions in an easy to use online platform,” Chao says. “I’m never going to tell anyone who to pick, but I will give the relevant injury information to give them an edge.” He’ll do that through several tools, including video analysis of injuries, news bulletins and a “Watch List” that helps you update your fantasy roster. Unfortunately for Dr. Chao, I don’t need him to tell me that, minus Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers season is in the toilet.
