Exclusive gaming zones for foreign visitors
mar24
MACAU CASINOS TURN TO RFID TO TRACK FOREIGN BETTERS
Facing failure to attract foreign gamblers, Macau casinos are turning to radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to track non-Chinese players’ bets and claim tax deductions as permitted under new legislation. Last year, the government announced an up to 5% tax break for casinos able to boost foreign gaming revenue, but initial efforts at isolating foreigner-only areas were unappealing to foreign gamblers. Now casino operators are installing smart table systems, and the government is providing equipment to facilitate tracking of foreign bettors’ wagers using RFID, said Secretary for Economy and Finance Lei Wai Nong.
https://macaudailytimes.com.mo/macau-casinos-turn-to-rfid-to-track-foreign-betters.html
mar24
Players from overseas that visit Macau casinos do not like to be put in rooms specially-designated for them, even though such a Macau government initiative offers the casino operators the possibility of a lower tax on such customers’ gross gaming revenue (GGR). That is the viewpoint of the boss of MGM Resorts International, parent company of Macau operator MGM China Holdings Ltd.
Foreign – i.e., non-Greater China – customers “didn’t like” being segregated, said Bill Hornbuckle, chief executive and president of MGM Resorts. He was speaking during the JP Morgan Gaming, Lodging, Restaurant & Leisure Management Access Forum, held in the United States on Thursday.
https://www.ggrasia.com/rfid-chips-a-route-for-macau-foreign-play-tracking-mgm/+ https://macaonews.org/news/business/macau-gambling-foreigner-only-rooms-rfid-macao/
Macau’s Secretary for Economy and Finance, Lei Wai Nong, said Sunday the Macau government has been calculating the gaming revenue generated by foreign customers by tracking electronic gaming tables and electronic chips in foreigner-only gambling zones. However, he did not provide any color on the number of foreign customers who have generated GGR so far this year.
Macau’s foreigner-only gaming zones are likely only transitional arrangements, with the government looking at ways to recognize foreigner play across entire properties, according to MGM China President and Chief Operating Officer Hubert Wang.
Speaking on a panel at G2E Asia in Macau on Tuesday, Wang explained that the current arrangement in which concessionaires have set aside special areas within their casinos for foreigners to play was a transitional arrangement in order to aid the government in tracking revenues for tax purposes.
Concessionaires have established foreigner-only gaming zones this year as part of a government plan to provide tax breaks of up to 5% of GGR for revenue sourced from foreign visitation.
Speaking to Inside Asian Gaming on Tuesday, Wang explained, “From a gaming experience standpoint, it’s far better to allow casino players to go where they like instead of being confined to one area, so that is a long-term goal.
“As long as the casino operators, the concessionaires, have the capability to [track foreign source revenue across entire properties] I think the government will allow that. The numbers must be auditable, they need to be trackable, so these are the prerequisites that need to be met.”
https://www.asgam.com/index.php/2023/07/12/mgm-chinas-hubert-wang-says-macau-foreigner-only-gaming-zones-likely-transitional/
jun23
Experts are struggling to find quantifiable advantages to the new foreigner-only gaming zones in Macau casinos, noting that none of Macau’s six gaming concessionaires have so far applied for the tax break, reducing the 40 percent charge on their gross gaming revenue (GGR), which could be applicable to gambling by foreigners under the new concession system.
Speaking to AGB, Nelson Kot, the president of the Macau Comprehensive Social Research Association says that foreigner gaming zones are not a novelty.
“Singapore has a foreigner gaming zone policy for so lon,”notes the representative. “Local citizens have to pay an entry fee to gamble in casinos, and there is no such a charge for foreigners,” he states, noting that the lure is for more foreign punters.
Besides, Not notes that the services for high-spending foreign tourists should include supplying gaming credit, which means Macau casinos need to be cautious with money laundering issues.
“Frequent punters have many options across Asia,” notes Kot, “Macau is certainly not the most accessible place to go”, he adds. “Luring more foreigners via tax break is a good wish, in reality, the operators have to work hard to find a solution.
“Foreigners have a very different attitude towards gambling compared to Chinese community. Gaming is more about leisure activities,” he notes. Kot believes that many foreigners have come to the city for MICE, and that the ratio of punters is very low. In this case, he urges the Macau government to release periodically the data, noting this may help to monitor the development (or lack thereof) of the sector.
Looking again to the foreigner-only zones, the former director of the Macau Association of Gaming and Entertainment Promoters, Luiz Lam, noted that there was a low amount of traffic in the established foreigner gaming zones.
But he also pointed out the hassle to the customer in verifying that they are foreigners, stating that “operators might prefer to skip the tax break rather than have to bother the punters,” also noting the further verification checks by the gaming watchdog on the betting figures in the specific areas – and relevant punters.
https://agbrief.com/intelligence/deep-dive/30/06/2023/macaus-foreigner-only-gaming-zones-unlikely-to-be-a-major-draw-experts/?utm_source=Asia+Gaming+Brief&utm_campaign=d9be76bde1-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_5_19_2022_13_42_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_51950b5d21-d9be76bde1-69255637&ct=t(EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_5_19_2022_13_42_COPY_01)&goal=0_51950b5d21-d9be76bde1-69255637&mc_cid=d9be76bde1&mc_eid=31e20475e6
mai23
Sands China President Wilfred Wong said Thursday that the Macau government is still examining the company’s 1Q23 financial results to determine the amount of tax reduction for the operation of foreigner-only gaming areas.
As previously reported by IAG, Macau’s concessionaires were asked last year to establish exclusive gaming zones for non-Chinese visitors, including specially designated gaming chips, in order to help determine the amount of revenue generated by foreign passport holders. The government had previously stated that concessionaires could receive a tax break of up to 5% for increasing foreign visitation.
https://www.asgam.com/index.php/2023/05/05/dr-wilfred-wong-macau-government-currently-assessing-sands-chinas-q1-tax-reduction-for-attracting-foreign-players/
ab23
Each Macau casino concessionaire has launched gaming zones for foreigners, said on Tuesday the city’s Chief Executive, Ho Iat Seng (pictured). The government was “aware” that a total of 12 foreigner-only gaming areas had so far been launched by the city’s six casino operators, he added.
Mr Ho was speaking on Tuesday evening to members of the press at the Macau checkpoint of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, before leaving Macau on a journey to Europe.
Mr Ho said the government was “pleased” to see the city’s gaming operators were fulfilling their concession pledges, including by providing charter flights to bring foreign patrons to Macau, as international flights have yet to resume to pre-pandemic levels.
https://www.ggrasia.com/macau-six-ops-have-12-foreigner-gaming-zones-ce/
ab23
Uma vez que os casinos de Macau agora têm como missão atrair mais jogadores estrangeiros, a estratégia adoptada para se saber a quantidade de receitas produzidas por apostadores do exterior passa pelo estabelecimento de zonas exclusivas. Segundo o portal AllIn Media, já há oito salas exclusivas para estrangeiros em funcionamento nos casinos locais.
https://pontofinal-macau.com/2023/04/13/apostadores-estrangeiros-ja-tem-pelo-menos-oito-salas-exclusivas-nos-casinos-de-macau/
ab23
The Grand Lisboa Palace casino resort (pictured) in Macau’s Cotai district, promoted by casino operator SJM Holdings Ltd, has launched a foreigner gaming zone, the company has confirmed to GGRAsia in response to our enquiry.
The foreigner-gambling area in the Cotai resort is located in “Dragon Pavilion”, a premium gaming area within the property.
Referring to the city’s casino regulator, the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau, SJM Holdings stated in its email reply: “With the approval of DICJ, the foreigner gaming zone was opened at Casino Grand Lisboa Palace on March 30, 2023.”
The company added: “It is currently the only foreigner gaming zone set up by SJM.”
https://www.ggrasia.com/grand-lisboa-palace-has-foreigner-gaming-zone-sjm/
ab23
Melco Resorts Chairman and CEO Lawrence Ho confirmed Thursday that the company has opened three gaming areas specifically designated for foreign players in its Macau casinos.
IAG asked Ho about the foreigner-only gaming areas at the Grand Opening of an indoor water park and new hotel tower at Studio City, part of the property’s US$1.2 billion Phase 2 expansion.
“Both City of Dreams and Studio City have foreign gaming areas, two at City of Dreams and one at Studio City,” Ho replied.
“There are a lot of gaming tables … now that the crowds are increasing and the visa restrictions for visitors have been reduced, I believe there will be more visitors on 1 May.
“This year, Melco is not expected to lose money, but the pandemic has caused the company to lose a lot of money in the past three years and the bank debt has increased substantially, so we will have to work harder to pay off our debts.”
Melco previously announced a net loss of US$931 million and Adjusted Property EBITDA of US$600,000 in 2022, compared with a net loss of US$810 million and Adjusted Property EBITDA of US$235 million in 2021.
Ho also pointed out that Melco would open new facilities in the future, including the relaunch of iconic resident show “The House of Dancing Water” at City of Dreams.
“Now that border tourism has been restored we look forward to using the new facilities to attract more visitors to Macau, including international visitors, he said.”
https://www.asgam.com/index.php/2023/04/06/lawrence-ho-confirms-melco-has-opened-three-foreigner-only-gaming-zones-in-macau/
abr23
The Galaxy Macau casino resort in the city’s Cotai district has a sign marked “Noble International Club” and “international guests are welcome”, pointing to an upstairs area near the property’s Diamond Lobby, GGRAsia has confirmed following on-site checks.
A staff member affirmed the indicated zone was a gaming area for those holding a foreign passport, with a valid Macau-entry endorsement issued by the immigration authorities.
GGRAsia understands from people with knowledge of the matter, that the zone at Galaxy Macau – the flagship casino resort of Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd – has been operational since Thursday.
GGRAsia has approached Galaxy Entertainment seeking comment regarding the foreigner-only gambling zone.
At least three other Macau casino operators have launched foreigner-only gambling zones within company properties, with the first starting in February, according to GGRAsia’s checks.
In all cases, GGRAsia has sought comment from the city’s casino regulator, the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau, regarding specifics on international-player zone starting dates and terms and conditions applicable for such zones. No comment has been available so far.
The Venetian Macao casino resort, run by Sands China Ltd, is understood to have been the first mover.
Within the same month, at least two gambling zones for foreigners were also in operation respectively at the MGM Macau casino hotel and the MGM Cotai casino resort, both properties run by MGM China Holdings Ltd.
The Studio City casino resort in Macau’s Cotai district, majority owned by Melco Resorts & Entertainment Ltd, has a foreigner-only gaming zone on the second floor of its Star Tower, GGRAsia confirmed following a recent on-site check at that property. GGRAsia understands from sources that Melco Resorts also has foreigner-only gambling space at its wholly-owned Macau flagship City of Dreams, also on Cotai.
According to Macau government data, the city had 1.59-million visitor arrivals in February, a major year-on-year improvement coinciding with the lifting in early January of most Covid-19 countermeasures in mainland China, Macau and Hong Kong. In February, visitors to Macau from overseas accounted for 2.8 percent of the total, or about 44,500 arrivals.
A senior gaming and hospitality executive told GGRAsia regarding current market conditions: “Gaming is recovering well, but it could be better. There are constraints – transportation for the premium players from Hong Kong – and visas, as well as available gaming wallets, for the gamers from China. As to foreign visitors and players, air connection is still the bottleneck.”
Under the updated regulatory framework for Macau gaming, linked to the new 10-year concessions that started on January 1, the city’s chief executive has the authority to reduce by up to 5 percentage points casino operators’ tax burden on casino gross gaming revenue (GGR) generated by players from “foreign countries,” as a matter of “public interest”. The city wants to wean the industry away from dependence on high-stakes gambling by players from the Chinese mainland.
Macau’s casino GGR was up 246.9 percent year-on-year in March, to just under MOP12.74 billion (US$1.58 billion). The result was the best monthly performance since January 2020 – prior to the onset of the pandemic alert, according to official data.
https://www.ggrasia.com/galaxy-macau-has-foreigner-only-gambling-zone-checks/
mar23
The Studio City casino resort in Macau’s Cotai district has a foreigner-only gaming zone on the second floor of its Star Tower, GGRAsia confirmed following on-site checks at that property.
The complex (pictured), majority-owned by Melco Resorts & Entertainment Ltd, has located such a zone near to the Lai Ying Club, the latter an own-brand location for premium players.
The existence of such a zone for overseas clients was affirmed by a variety of on-site staff. There were no visible signs to direct customers to the foreigner-only zone when GGRAsia visited the property on Friday.
https://www.ggrasia.com/melcos-studio-city-has-foreigner-only-bet-zone-checks/
mar23
At least two gambling zones for foreigners are already in operation respectively at the MGM Macau casino hotel and the MGM Cotai casino resort, both properties run by MGM China Holdings Ltd, GGRAsia has learnt. Both zones – dubbed as for ‘international gaming’ (signage pictured) – were launched in the final part of February, said people familiar with the matter, but who asked not to be identified.
The MGM Macau gambling zone for foreigners is situated within a non-main floor area, on the second floor of the property. The same happens with the MGM Cotai zone, located on the first floor of the resort.
https://www.ggrasia.com/foreigner-gaming-zones-open-at-mgm-china-casinos-sources/
fev23
Venetian Macao Has Allegedly Launched Exclusive Gaming Zone for Foreigners
https://www.top10casinowebsites.net/news/venetian-macao-has-allegedly-launched-exclusive-gaming-zone-for-foreigners/
fev23
Tash said gaming companies were willing to invest in non-gaming infrastructure “because it just looks more positive.” But he questioned how successful such efforts would be.
“We already have world-class restaurants,” he told Macao News. “How many more can you add? How many more shows are going to attract people to come all the way from northern China to Macao? It’s a challenge, it’s always been a challenge.”
According to Tash, English proficiency will also be key if the six gaming concessionaires are to diversify their customer base.
“Not many dealers are fluent in English,” he said. “If they speak multiple languages it’s definitely Cantonese and Mandarin, which is very useful. But to attract a Korean and a Japanese and a non-Chinese speaking Indonesian, you need English.”
The Macao government has embarked on an ambitious plan to promote tourism internationally and has said that the majority of visitors come to the territory for shopping and dining instead of gaming.
https://macaonews.org/business/gaming-tourism-diversification-macau-macao/
fev23
A lei do jogo prevê a redução ou isenção de impostos para as concessionárias que alargarem as fontes dos jogadores, tendo por base as receitas geradas por apostadores estrangeiros. No entanto, a Direcção de Inspecção e Coordenação de Jogos (DICJ) não revelou ao PONTO FINAL a quantidade de receitas brutas geradas por jogadores estrangeiros em Janeiro deste ano nem ao longo dos últimos quatro anos. O organismo regulador disse apenas que cabe às operadoras estabelecer uma base de dados para o efeito, mas não explicou como é que serão fiscalizados os números das concessionárias.
https://pontofinal-macau.com/2023/02/23/dicj-nao-revela-receitas-de-jogo-geradas-por-estrangeiros-nem-explica-como-verifica-dados-das-operadoras/
fev23
But, despite the slow ramp-up of flights, the head of the Association of Industry and Commerce Federations of Macau notes that actual round-trip tickets to popular destinations from Macau are much higher than neighboring Hong Kong, making it impractical to organize international tours or seek out more international visitors.
“The Macau-Tokyo round-trip flights cost now about MOP5,800 ($720), when the same flight from Hong Kong is about MOP1,000 ($128),” notes Ben Leng.
“The difference in price just can’t be accepted by consumers,” points out the association head – exemplifying that the routes to Seoul and Osaka are in a similar situation, suppressing demand.
https://agbrief.com/news/macau/22/02/2023/macau-international-tourism-recovery-impeded-by-flights-says-insider/
fev23
A gambling zone for foreigners is already in place at the Venetian Macao casino resort (pictured), run by Sands China Ltd, GGRAsia has learnt. It was launched about a week ago, and has several live-dealer tables for baccarat, said people familiar with the matter, but who asked not to be identified.
The zone is situated within a non-main floor area, which was formerly assigned for VIP gaming. Those wishing to gamble there are required to present a passport or travel document proving their entitlement to “foreigner” designation. The special area includes English-speaking staff to serve patrons, the sources told GGRAsia.
https://www.ggrasia.com/foreigner-gaming-zone-already-at-venetian-macao-sources/
fev23
A mid the government’s desire for more overseas tourists, the tourism sector lawmaker Cheung Kin Chun is confident about non-gambling elements proposed by casino operators.
Previously, the Chief Executive urged the tourism industry to shift their focus from the mainland and strive to attract more overseas tourists to Macau.
Speaking to the Times on the sidelines of a recent parliamentary event, Cheung explained that Macau has a “good foundation” in tourism software and hardware as well as friendliness, while describing Macau as a world tourism destination.
Moreover, the historic backgrounds of the city will also be appealing to long-haul tourists. Major events in sports and business will also help attract tourists from abroad, the lawmaker added.
The lawmaker is also confident that future regional integration and development will improve the local tourism market. For example, he said, tourists will find it appealing to make three stops – the mainland, Macau and Hong Kong – in a single trip.
https://macaudailytimes.com.mo/lawmaker-confident-casinos-will-entice-foreign-tourists.html
Fev23 A OPINIAO DE DAVID GREEN
The enablers of successful non-gaming investment in Macau
If nothing else, the commitment by Macau’s casino concessionaires to invest US$13.5 billion over 10 years in the development of non-gaming attractions demonstrates that they, and their financiers, collectively possess both a high pain threshold and unshakeable faith in the restoration of gaming revenue to at least its immediate pre-COVID level.
It does not, however, speak to their confidence in the execution of successful non-gaming investment strategies. To credibly do so would require not just an awareness of the enablers of such strategies, but also an expectation that the SAR government will share some of the heavy lifting needed to assure success. So, what are the key enablers, and what should the government be considering to see them facilitate, rather than frustrate, the outcomes sought?
(ver vários 'enablers')
https://www.asgam.com/index.php/2023/02/01/missing-in-action/
fev23
Hong Kong anunciou ontem que vai oferecer meio milhão de bilhetes de avião para atrair turistas e empresários de todo o mundo, no âmbito da campanha "Hello Hong Kong".
https://pontofinal-macau.com/2023/02/03/hong-kong-oferece-meio-milhao-de-bilhetes-de-aviao-para-atrair-turismo-e-negocios/
jan23
Mainland China has amended the law on offshore gambling thus gaming concessionaires and junket operators are not allowed to actively invite mainlanders to visit Macau for gambling,” he said.
“Gaming concessionaires and junket operators have to be passive towards mainland customers, but we could be very active in attracting foreign customers.
“However, the competitive environment in foreign countries is different compared with 20 years ago. [Back then] there were no casinos in Singapore, but now Singapore has established casinos which are operating very well, and Thailand and Japan are planning to open casinos as well.”
Kwok stressed that Macau had lost much of its attractiveness over the past three years, making it more important than ever for the city to recognize its own competitive advantages.
“The hardware and facilities in Macau are all adequate and world-class, but how to make Macau more fascinating to foreign guests than other places will be an important task for Macau’s gaming concessionaires and junket operators in the future,” he said, noting that expectations of recovery in the coming years should remain subdued.
“VIP rooms accounted for more than 50% of Macau’s gross gaming revenue [previously], but Macau’s gaming industry will focus on the mass market in the future as VIP rooms have almost disappeared. The change from VIP room business to mass market business will definitely have an impact on the gaming industry, and future GGR will not be better than before.
https://www.asgam.com/index.php/2023/01/31/shopping-around/
jan23
Segundo a imprensa em língua chinesa, o presidente da Associação dos Hoteleiros vincou o desejo de que sejam retomadas o mais rápido possível as excursões do Interior da China para visitar Macau. Sobre o mercado de Hong Kong, assegurou que os hotéis vão avançar com mais propostas de cooperação com a região vizinha, com o objectivo de que, no curto prazo, mais visitantes e turistas internacionais que passem pela RAEHK sejam atraídos a viajar a Macau.
No que se refere aos clientes estrangeiros, Cheung Kin Chung afirmou que o sector já fez “preparativos suficientes”, através da promoção reforçada de Macau como destino turístico internacionalmente conhecido, da retoma e da expansão de ligações aéreas, entre diversas medidas.
Em concreto, revelou que o sector vai “aprofundar a exploração de elementos culturais, gastronómicos, de ‘big-health’, das compras e festivos”, para destacar a boa imagem de Macau enquanto Centro Mundial de Turismo e Lazer.
Por outro lado, o também deputado apontou para a meta de criação de uma “zona turística dourada de Hengqin e de Macau”, com vista a cativar turistas estrangeiros a visitar o território, Hengqin e até a Grande Baía e outras regiões do Interior da China, e ao mesmo tempo, incentivar mais visitantes do Continente a viajar a Macau, Hengqin e até ao estrangeiro, passando pela RAEM.
https://jtm.com.mo/local/cativar-clientes-estrangeiros-e-prioritario-para-os-hoteis/
4/1/23
Ben Lee of IGamiX says the demographic of visitors from mainland China to Macao has changed "drastically," and there are now more young families, young couples and young groups of wome
https://www.msn.com/en-us/video/peopleandplaces/more-non-gamblers-have-been-visiting-macao-consultancy-says/vi-AA15WRlF?category=foryou
jan23
Want to attract foreigners? Make Macau the poker capital of Asia
dez22
O deputado Lei Chan U está preocupado com a nova estratégia para o jogo que passa pela atracção de turistas internacionais. Numa interpelação escrita, o legislador pede mais esclarecimentos sobre as metas a atingir e quais vão ser os principais mercados em que Macau vai “apostar” para ter mais turistas internacionais. Como deputado ligado à Federação das Associações dos Operários de Macau, Lei Chan U apoia o novo caminho do Governo, porém, avisa que os dados dos últimos anos são desajustados face ao que se pretende seja a realidade para os próximos anos.
https://hojemacau.com.mo/2022/12/28/turismo-internacional-pedidas-explicacoes-sobre-nova-abordagem-ao-jogo/
dez22
Tactics formulated to attract foreigners tend to be implemented poorly: see previous paragraph! It’s one thing to enunciate and formulate a strategy, but it’s a totally different thing to bring this vision into reality. That takes efficient and capable senior managerial skills, something that Macau is still struggling with. And with the constant emphasis on promotion of locals, foreigners in very senior leadership positions in Macau are sometimes looked upon with suspicion.
It’s not the purpose of this article to criticize Macau just for the sake of it. Instead, these are constructive suggestions. It’s fantastic that Macau wants to increase foreign visitation and lessen its reliance on the mainland. As stated above, the fact that the government wants to do this is cause for celebration, and I am sure all six concessionaires will enthusiastically embrace this policy goal.
The real question here is this: is Macau prepared to do what really needs to be done to transform this initiative from mere policy goal to achieved reality?
Andrew Scott https://www.asgam.com/index.php/2022/12/19/so-macau-wants-foreign-visitors-heres-how-to-do-it/
dez22
A aposta em elementos não jogo e clientes estrangeiros são duas das exigências estabelecidas no concurso público pelas autoridades que esperam assim diversificar a economia do território.
A MGM Grand Paradise planeia aumentar a rede de vendas no exterior e organizar eventos nas filiais da Ásia e do Médio Oriente, para “atrair clientes de países estrangeiros directamente para Macau”, nomeadamente “através de voos charter”, disse a administradora delegada da empresa, Pansy Ho, na conferência de imprensa de apresentação do plano de acção para os próximos dez anos.
A responsável, filha do falecido magnata do jogo Stanley Ho, salientou que dos 16,7 mil milhões de patacas de investimento para a próxima década, “15 mil milhões de patacas, aproximadamente 90%, serão destinados ao desenvolvimento de mercados de visitantes internacionais e projectos não relacionados com o jogo”.
No mesmo sentido, o irmão Lawrence Ho, administrador delegado de outra concessionária, a Melco Resorts, frisou que serão utilizados “dois aviões privados” da empresa para “atrair clientes com grande poder de consumo”.
Ho, que espera apostar também em turistas europeus e do Médio Oriente, referiu que a operadora prevê gastar 11,8 mil milhões de patacas numa década, sendo que à volta de 10 mil milhões de patacas serão orientados para o segmento além-casino e, desses, 1,9 mil milhões para trazer visitantes de fora.
A Galaxy, por sua vez, também quer “apostar em clientela com capacidade de consumo”, de acordo com o administrador delegado Francis Lui Yiu Tung, “porque esses clientes são quem pode fortalecer a economia”.
Com uma previsão de aplicar 28,4 mil milhões de patacas na estratégia para os próximos dez anos, a empresa vai canalizar 96% desse valor em projectos fora do âmbito do jogo.
Já a Wynn Resorts quer empregar 17,7 mil milhões de patacas na próxima década, dos quais 16,5 mil milhões de patacas em elementos não jogo. Nos planos, está o alargamento dos escritórios de venda e agências no exterior, em vários países asiáticos e ainda no Canadá e nos Estados Unidos.
“Vamos desenvolver parcerias regionais e internacionais com companhias aéreas que sirvam Macau e Hong Kong, e explorar voos charter e serviços de voos privados para os clientes”, notou o director financeiro e administrativo, Craig Jeffrey Fullalove.
A Venetian Macau (Sands) é quem apresenta o investimento mais alto das seis operadoras, com a promessa de gastar 30,2 mil milhões de patacas, incluindo 27,8 mil milhões em programas não jogo.
Para atrair o mundo lá fora, o director executivo Wilfred Wong Ying Wai quer também “concentrar as despesas de marketing em mercados estrangeiros, incluindo na imprensa estrangeira e em plataformas de distribuição”.
Por fim, a mais antiga concessionária a operar em Macau, a Sociedade de Jogos de Macau (SJM), representada pela administradora delegada Daisy Ho, também filha de Stanley Ho, apresentou planos para expandir a base de clientes além-fronteiras – numa primeira fase nos mercados do norte da Ásia e do Sudeste Asiático.
“A SJM também aproveitará em pleno os seus próprios recursos e a extensa rede de transporte aéreo, terrestre e marítimo das empresas do mesmo grupo para proporcionar um serviço de transporte em conectividade sem descontinuidade aos visitantes internacionais”, assegurou a responsável.
Com um investimento antecipado de 14,03 mil milhões de patacas, cerca de 12 milhões destinam-se a actividades fora do casino.
Durante a conferência de imprensa, o Governo admitiu serem necessárias mais ligações aéreas ao território – Macau só tem voos directos para destinos na Ásia – com o secretário para a Administração e Justiça, André Cheong, a considerar que “é possível aproveitar a ponte Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau” e, nesse sentido, devem ser feitas “propostas de facilitação de acesso às fronteiras” com as autoridades vizinhas para que a entrada e saída de visitantes internacionais seja agilizada.
https://pontofinal-macau.com/2022/12/19/operadoras-de-jogo-apostam-em-voos-charter-e-escritorios-no-exterior-para-captar-visitantes/
dez22
Ambrose So Shu Fai (pictured in file photo), vice-chairman and chief executive of Macau casino operator SJM Holdings Ltd, says he believes Macau “will be very successful” in attracting visitors from abroad, as the city started to ease some of its Covid-19 policies.
“Macau is a tourism destination … so, we hope there will be more relaxation [of existing Covid policies] and that more visitors will come to Macau,” Mr So said in comments on Tuesday to Radio Macau, the Portuguese-language radio service of public broadcaster TDM.
The SJM Holdings CEO acknowledged that a quarantine-on-arrival policy in Macau – mostly for those coming directly from outside China – had been having an “impact” on the city’s casino revenue. “With the relaxation of the quarantine policy, in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, we expect more people will come, especially foreign visitors,” he stated in his remarks to the media outlet.
He added: “The Macau government is also encouraging all the concessionaires to make their best efforts to attract those visitors coming from abroad.”
https://www.ggrasia.com/sjm-ceo-confident-overseas-business-to-return/
dez22
DS Kim, an analyst at brokerage JP Morgan Securities (Asia Pacific) Ltd said in a Saturday note: “We don’t expect ‘foreign GGR’ to be meaningful, because foreigners probably drove less than 10 percent of mass GGR before Covid.”
He added that “not many” such players “will likely want to restrict themselves to ‘foreigner-only zones’ – which we assume will only feature a small number of tables – as gamblers typically prefer to move between different tables to find the ‘pattern’ and ‘luck’ they favour.” That was a reference to behaviour often attributed in particular to Asian players of baccarat.
https://www.ggrasia.com/macau-to-see-casino-play-zones-for-foreigners-in-tax-shakeup/
dez22
At Friday’s press conference we learnt that the government intends to ask the concessionaires to establish exclusive gaming zones for foreign visitors, with specially designated gaming chips, to help determine the amount of revenue generated by foreign passport holders. But what’s to keep foreigners from leaving these zones and playing elsewhere for any one of a multitude of reasons ranging from “bad luck” to not wanting to show ID to prove they are foreigners to “wanting to mix it with the Chinese”? Nothing. So we need to assign a percentage to the amount of foreign play that will actually be tracked as foreign play. This percentage will be highly dependent on whatever incentives the concessionaires may create for foreigners to play in the foreigners-only zones. Let’s be kind and assign a percentage of say 67% to this number.
Plugging all these numbers into a calculation gives the following:
2.5% x 3.58% x 67% x (50% x US$36.5 billion)
= US$11.1 million for all six concessionaires
= an average of US$1.8 million per concessionaire per year
Where:
- 2.5% is the mid-range of possible GGR charge reduction on foreign play,
- 3.58% is the DICJ’s estimate of foreign-sourced GGR,
- 67% is an estimate of the amount of foreign play that will occur in foreign-only zones, and
- 50% x US$36.5 billion is the estimate of post-covid zero stabilized medium term annual GGR
It is noteworthy that this US$1.8 million per concessionaire per year estimate represents just 0.06% of GGR, or if you prefer just 0.15% of the total gaming taxes and charges imposed by the government.
Of course for the larger concessionaires, the estimated savings would be a bit more, perhaps up to US$2.3 million, and for the smaller concessionaires, the estimated savings would be a bit less, perhaps around US$1.3 million. But whichever way you cut it, these amounts don’t even move the needle.
There will be considerable costs the concessionaires will have to bear (yet again!) to establish and operate these foreign-only zones. They will have to buy whole new chip sets, which is a very expensive exercise. There will be a new set of SOPs to create for the foreign-only zones, with the ongoing cost of staff training and different operations. Concessionaires will have to offer something to incentivise foreigners to actually play in those zones. All this is likely to cost a lot more than US$1.8 million, so the entire exercise may even prove to have a negative effect on EBITDA, especially so in the first year or two of implementation.
I do understand the government is trying to incentivise the operators to increase that 3.58% to a higher number but given the structural deficiencies of Macau and its long-term unattractiveness to foreign visitors, that is going to be a very tall order.
The opportunity to save a minuscule fraction of government taxes and charges isn’t going to get the concessionaires excited about this initiative at all.
https://www.asgam.com/index.php/2022/12/11/analysing-macaus-lower-tax-rate-for-foreign-play-how-much-are-we-talking-here/
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