Macau pulls out the stops to attract gamblers with private jets and performances

Macau’s biggest junket operator is rewarding its high rollers with travel packages to attend the Kennards Hire Rally car race in Australia and a limited-edition Christophe Claret watch – and it’s reaping dividends.

Suncity Group’s version of a credit-card rewards programme, in which bets at tables become points that can be redeemed for luxury items, has become such a hit that it’s helped to increase betting volumes by more than 30 per cent this year, Alvin Chau, founder and chairman of the company, said.

He expects an additional 20 per cent surge next year for the junket operator, which extends credit used by high rollers to gamble.

The company is marketing the programme to bolster its brand among wealthy Chinese who are returning to the world’s largest gaming centre after a slowdown driven by China’s anti-corruption drive.

The programme’s travel and entertainment features are also helping it deliver on a key demand by Macau regulators for the industry to provide more offerings that are not directly tied to gaming.

Suncity is staging its own events, such as an August concert featuring Hong Kong pop star Jacky Cheung that caused a traffic jam on Macau’s Cotai Strip.

In May, it used private jets to shuttle clients to Manila for a party. And earlier this year, more than 5,000 of its VIP clients rolled into the territory for a spring dinner for its 10th anniversary.

“These entertainment events have helped us boost betting volumes,” Chau, 43, said last week in Macau.

“We don’t need to wait for Golden Week holiday to have the Golden Week revenue.”