The Macau Metro Monitor, May 3, 2011
GAINING MASS Inside Asian Gaming
The two latest gaming initiatives at CoD are the 'Red Hot Tables' concept for baccarat players and the 'New Game Zone' for slot players. As the world's first baccarat trend indicator, Red Hot Tables technology allows incoming players to spot winning streaks at baccarat tables at a distance. MPEL's Co-COO of Gaming Ted Chan explains that this would help new mass market customers find a table they may want to bet at. He added, "It sounds very simple, but unfortunately, nobody in the world is doing it except for us. We are the only ones because we know that is what the customer would like to do."
The 'New Game Zone' helps players find the latest new electronic gaming machines. "Setting up the 'New Game Zone' took months of negotiation, and it enables us to leverage the market developments this year, with suppliers having difficulty selling their products in other markets around the world. So now we are just launching that concept with new Aristocrat products, and probably we will be able to work with other suppliers in the future." MPEL also plans to boost its jackpot appeal by linking the floorwide jackpots at CoD and Mocha Clubs.
Chan says, "I cannot give you a timeline for when mass would be overtaking VIP, but I foresee very positive growth over the next say five years time frame."
MONTHLY GROSS REVENUE FROM GAMES OF FORTUNE IN 2011 AND 2010 DICJ
Macau April gross gaming revenues hit MOP20.51 BN (HKD19.91 BN, US$2.56 BN), up 44.6% YoY.
ROOM RATES RISE OVER 15% DURING MAY DAY HOLIDAY Macau Daily News
Occupancy rate of some hotels reached 100% before and on Labor Day and then fell back to 80%‐90% the following day. Room rates were up 15-20% YoY. 3-star/4-star ADR ranged between MOP 2,500 and MOP 3,500.
MACAU: 900,000 BORDER CROSSING DURING MAY DAY HOLIDAY Macau Daily News
During the three-day May Day holiday from April 30 to May 2, Macau’s three border checkpoints--Gongbei, Hengqin, and Wanzai--recorded 900,000 times of border crossing, of which 420,000 were mainland visitors. Travelers crossing via the Gongbei border totaled over 840,000, up 10% compared with the same period last year. The figures at Hengqin and Wanzai exceeded 42,000 and 16,000 respectively.