Asia, Middle East gamblers to cash in on wave of legalisation in Thailand, Japan, UAE, pressuring Macau
- Establishment of new gaming centres would pose a major challenge for Macau, the world’s largest gambling hub which has gaming revenue six times that of Las Vegas
- Time is still on Macau’s side, as it’ll likely be years before the first dice are rolled elsewhere
The establishment of new centres would pose a major challenge for Macau, the world’s largest gambling hub – which once had regional demand all to itself – to the tune of gaming revenue six times that of the Las Vegas Strip.
The city’s era of explosive growth has come to an end in recent years as Beijing cracks down on high rollers and tightens scrutiny of casinos’ activities in a bid to curb capital flight. Now it faces the daunting task of pivoting to mass entertainment options to lure tourists just as other destinations get closer to offering baccarat and blackjack.
“The loyalty that perhaps Macau had in the past, because it was the best show in the region – the best option – won’t necessarily be the case going forward,” said Jeremy Walker, a gaming industry consultant and former senior casino executive.
“That gaming customer living in Shanghai will in the future have a choice to jump on a plane and go to Macau, Singapore, Osaka or Bangkok. They’re going to go where they feel they’ll get the best experience.”