Be ready for a battle royal, as Macau gambling giants unveil latest attractions
Major players jockey for position, with city hoping to lure a wider audience to both its gaming tables and its tourist attractions
With the imminent openings of the Wynn Palace and The Parisian Macao, experts now expect a battle royal for market share among the six biggest casino operators which dominate the world’s top gambling hub.
Much has been written in recent months about whether casino magnate Steve Wynn, or his Sands China counterpart Sheldon Adelson regret their moves to invest millions in the two new ventures. The Wynn Palace opened last week and The Parisian is expected to launch in September.
In recent years punters have stayed away from Macau’s gaming tables in their droves, after the Chinese government clampdown on excess spending spilled over into high rolling at Macau’s top venues.
Both companies, however, have maintained that their investments are perfectly timed, as they are set to focus on not only mass-market and high-spending VIP customers, but also offer a wider tourist experience, in line with Macau’s hopes of being associated with a lot more than just spinning roulette wheels.
The timing of the openings may also prove a bittersweet experience for Macau casino tsar Stanley Ho Hung-sun and billionaire tycoon Lui Che-woo, whose own properties are expected to benefit from more holidaymakers travelling to Macau, but also lose at least some of their shine to the two dazzling brand-new destinations.
“[The outperformers] ought to be the two operators that are bringing new supply online, namely Wynn Macau and Sands China.