SOMEONE put a spanner in the roulette wheel.
Macau's sumptuous new Westin Resort has started taking guests, but the Government has gone cold on the casino promised in the glossy brochures going out to potential customers in Hongkong, Japan and Taiwan.
''For those who wish to take a chance with Lady Luck, there is direct access to Macau's newest and most exclusive casino,'' boasts the six-star complex commanding a panoramic view of Coloane Island's Hac Sa Beach from each of its 208 terraced rooms and suites.
''We've got enough casinos,'' Mr Stanley Ho, whose company owns and operates the existing gambling houses, said yesterday.
''The Government has said it is not keen on having another at the Westin, and we go along with that,'' he said, even though his company is deeply involved in the costly venture with the Japanese Aoki Corporation.
Instead of direct access to the gaming tables, Westin's guests will have to take a 15-minute ride to Mr Ho's famous Lisboa Casino, albeit aboard a stretch limousine fitted with all mod cons.