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Showing posts from October, 2025

SHows (II)

out25:  certain artists do have the power to generate incremental gambling business not only in the resorts that hold them, but also in other Macau properties. FALA DO ESPAÇO AO AR LIVRE Chessman Entertainment has been an organising entity for a number of recent sold-out concerts at Macau casino resorts, including ones by Hong Kong singers Jacky Cheung and by MC Cheung Tin-fu; and the South Korean artists G Dragon and Kyuhyun. Pitching show lineups to suit preferences of gamblers from the Chinese mainland had long been a priority for Macau casino operators, asserted Mr Che. Commentary by some investment analysts has suggested certain artists do have the power to generate incremental gambling business not only in the resorts that hold them, but also in other Macau properties. In post-pandemic times, Macau operators have increasingly considered booking singers or other artists that are favourites with family members of casino customers, or with purely non-gaming clients, observed Mr ...

Macao’s non-gaming ambitions face structural hurdles

 out25 Despite its reputation for slot machines and poker tables, Las Vegas’s gaming activities will account for only 26 percent of tourism revenue this year, commented gaming industry expert Niall Murray, speaking at Thursday evening’s  BritCham  event held at the Artyzen Grand Lapa. For Macao, expanding its non-gaming portfolio and rebalancing its economy to match Sin City would be a pipe dream, explained the founder and chairman of Murray International Group, lamenting that “at best we’re about three years behind our regional peers” when compared to neighbouring Hong Kong’s world-class infrastructure or Singapore’s aggressive airport capacity. [ See more :   Gambling on health: Studio City opens its own hospital ] While there is an ongoing push to diversify Macao’s economy beyond the gaming sector, progress has been slow. Collaboration among key stakeholders remains limited, since few concessionaires are willing to sit down with competitors and openly share non-ga...

FRASE: the gaming industry’s prosperity does not mirror Macau’s overall economic condition

 https://asgam.com/2025/09/30/downward-spiral/

cross-border crime

 out25 Macau police warn of challenges from cross-border crime and new criminal tactics By   Nelson Moura Macau police warn of new crime threats as 35 investigators appointed Macau’s police warned Friday of mounting challenges to the city’s stability as 35 new chief criminal investigators were sworn in, citing the growing complexity of cross-border crime and the fast evolution of criminal tactics. Judiciary Police director Sit Chong Meng said the city “remains generally stable” but stressed that officers must adapt quickly to safeguard public security. “We face new challenges that could disrupt this balance,” Sit told the appointment ceremony. “The task of safeguarding national security and ensuring social stability is more crucial than ever.” The new investigators have undergone extensive training and are expected to strengthen the force’s ability to respond to emerging threats, officials said. Authorities have pledged to step up policing strategies to preserve social order a...

The rise and fall of Macau’s pawnshops

 out25 Macau’s pawnshop industry, once a thriving pillar of the city’s casino economy, has seen its fortunes plummet from over 200 establishments at its 2014 peak to just 56 today. A fourth-generation pawnbroker charts the sector’s dramatic rise and fall — and warns of further decline ahead. By Jing Wu (text) and Gonçalo Lobo Pinheiro (photos), Lusa Alexander Wai Kai Leong, 39, the fourth-generation owner of Veng Seng Pawnshop, is a man whose story is told in gold and jade — and his first impression is striking, thanks to the jewellery he wears. A gleaming gold watch and a gold ring set with a vivid green jade stone immediately draw the eye to his left hand. His right hand is equally adorned: a golden dragon ring coils around his index finger, and a large ruby sparkles on his ring finger. A string of wooden prayer beads wraps his right wrist, completing the ensemble. Leong’s family legacy began in 1940, when they owned eight pawnshops in Hong Kong. At the time, during the Second Si...

Asia’s foreigner-only casinos,

 out25 Asia’s foreigner-only casinos, specifically those located in South Korea and Vietnam, were born with a natural disadvantage – one that was only exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. But recent performance suggests these industry outliers are fighting back, carving out a niche position that has many producing record results.  IAG  takes a closer look. https://asgam.com/2025/09/30/fighting-back/

Macau tourism to hit 46.4 mln visitors by 2030 with non-gaming spending surge, study shows

 out25 Macau is projected to welcome as many as 46.43 million visitors annually by 2030, underpinned by a surge of nearly 30 percent in non-gaming expenditure, according to a government-commissioned study. The Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) on Tuesday released the second-phase review of the Macau Tourism Industry Development Master Plan, a long-term blueprint first introduced in 2017 to guide the city’s tourism evolution over 15 years. Following the first-phase review in 2021, the latest report, conducted by Deloitte Advisory Services, estimated that Macau will attract between 39.47 million and 46.43 million tourists in 2030, marking a 13 percent to 32.9 percent increase from 34.93 million visitors in 2024. In the first eight months of 2025 alone, Macau recorded 26.9 million arrivals, a 15 percent year-on-year increase, according to official data. Should this momentum continue, annual visitation could hit a record 40.17 million this year. The second-phase review also antici...