The Macau Metro Monitor, May 6, 2013

MORE LOCALS, FOREIGNERS BANNED FROM MBS, GENTING CASINOS Strait Times

More than 15,600 were issued third-party exclusion orders for the 10 months leading to March, taking the total to 43,519, about 1.5x the 27,882 at the end of May last year.

The increase came largely as a result of some 15,000 people being banned by the Government because they were receiving financial aid from the Ministry of Social and Family Development's (MSF) ComCare, or had defaulted on the Housing Board's rental payments.

GALAXY TO TIGHTEN MACAU HOLD WITH GRAND WALDO BUY The Standard, Macau Business

Galaxy Entertainment will buy the Grand Waldo hotel complex in Macau for HK$3.25 billion.  Selling the Cotai Strip hotel complex to Galaxy will be units of Get Nice Holdings.  Grand Waldo hotel has 316 guest rooms, 23 gaming tables and 15 VIP gaming tables. 

Get Nice has agreed to stop hotel and casino operations in Macau in order to avoid competition.  The firm said it will use HK$890 million of the net proceeds for development of new investment opportunities and the remainder will be used for expanding existing financial businesses.

Galaxy Entertainment said the acquisition “is a strategic investment and is expected to have synergistic effect” on the group’s development in Cotai.  Grand Waldo is located across the road from Galaxy Macau, in Cotai.

PACQUIAO TO FIGHT AT VENETIAN Macau Business

The date and the venue for the ring return of Philippine boxing hero Manny Pacquiao have been confirmed. Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz told the Manila Standard that the fight would be at The Venetian Macao, on November 24.