Sands China comes up short on tables at The Parisian as Macau seeks to diversify away from gaming

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Sheldon Adelson’s Sands China resort The Parisian was allocated fewer tables than expected. Photo: AP

Published: 8:21pm, 5 Sep 2016Updated: 10:44pm, 5 Sep 2016

Sands China’s upcoming The Parisian resort was allocated 150 gaming tables by the Macau government, fewer than the 250 Las Vegas mogul Sheldon Adelson had hoped for, as the world’s biggest gambling enclave distances itself further from gaming.

Among the 150 gaming tables granted to the Cotai Strip-based project, expected to open to visitors on September 13, 100 will be available upon its debut, according to a company statement to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

The number of newly authorised tables came in significantly below expectations laid out by billionaire Adelson last year, as well as the 250 each approved for the new properties developed by rivals Galaxy Entertainment Group and Melco Crown Entertainment in 2015.

Coming on the heels of the long-awaited return to growth for Macau’s gaming revenues in August, it pointed to a stepped-up effort by the government of the former Portuguese colony to curb the city’s dependence on gambling and boost tourism and shopping.

While acknowledging the impact may be limited, analysts said fewer new tables may make gaming less favourable to mass market gamblers – the segment that both authorities and local casinos are shifting their big bets to.

“The allocation of 150 tables is more than sufficient to populate the Parisian casino as Sands China is able to transfer tables from its other properties to the new one,”said Aaron Fischer, regional head of consumer and gaming research with CLSA.

It is reasonable to expect that upcoming resorts like MGM Cotai and Lisboa Palace will also receive around 150 tables

Aaron Fischer, CLSA analyst