Thursday, March 28, 2024
Homecasinos and gamingMacau casinos eye resorts to counter slowdown

Macau casinos eye resorts to counter slowdown

As revenue plummets at China's only legal gambling hub, global casino operators have a new mantra – what happens in Vegas, must also happen in Macau.

Diversifying into hotels, entertainment and retail is the only game in town for companies like Melco Crown Entertainment and Galaxy Entertainment Group. The latter's two new resort projects, worth $3.2 billion, open in Macau later on Wednesday.

Nevada's casino giants blazed a trail in 1999, as Las Vegas sought to shed its 'Sin City' image and become a tourist destination, and non-gaming now accounts for more than two-thirds of total revenue. In Macau, the motivation is different, but urgent – gaming revenue is set to drop 26-30 percent this year as Beijing's unrelenting clampdown on corruption saps appetite for ostentatious gambling.

"We have really focused our attention on things beyond gaming to reach out for a new group of people and tap into new revenue streams," said JD Clayton, president of Melco's Studio City resort project, speaking this month at a conference.

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