Macau Visitor Arrivals Up Nine Percent in 2018 First Quarter

Macau visitor arrivals totaled significantly more than 8.5 million in the first quarter of 2018, an 8.6 percent increase on the same period that is three-month 2017.

Mainland Chinese residents are flocking to Macau.

March ended up being an exceptionally strong period, as tourism traffic jumped more than nine % due towards the month having an extra Saturday in 2018 set alongside the past year. Visitor arrivals totaled 2.7 million, which is truly an 11 per cent drop from February due to that month hosting the all-important Golden Week holiday.

Visitation from Mainland China was up almost 10 percent final thirty days, and 13.4 percent into the first quarter.

The Macau Statistics and Census provider report is welcomed news to casino operators that continue to look to increase mass market visitation to the gaming enclave.

Gross gaming revenue (GGR) has followed the visitation trend. Income from games of fortune are up 20.5 percent through March. China’s gaming enclave has now published 21 consecutive months of good gains.

Mass Appeal

Following 3 years of yearly GGR declines between 2014 and 2016 due to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign being extended to VIP junkets, casino operators began rethinking their focus to a lot more of the population that is general.

While the VIP has reigned supreme for a long time and it is in charge of transforming Macau from the sleepy hallow into the world’s richest gaming hub, casinos no more want to entirely depend on the high roller to keep revenues robust.

Mainland China and Hong Kong is responsible for a lot more than 85 percent of the traffic to Macau. Showing a rise in visitation from the mainland through initial three months of 2018, lacking any surge that is apparent junket activity, means resorts are effectively enticing more for the mass market.

‘Mass demand is growing to record highs,’ analysts at JP Morgan said a week ago. ‘The pace that this data recovery is happening without any rise that is discernible advertising indicates it’s a genuine demand recovery, perhaps not artificially pulled forward.’

Macau officials are hoping infrastructure improvements assists in future growth. The 2018 summer opening of the multibillion-dollar mega bridge that will reduce auto travel time from Hong Kong to Macau from four hours to just 45 minutes should bring new visitors to the enclave along with a new ferry terminal near the Cotai Strip.

Entry Concerns

Gross gaming income and Macau visitor arrivals are both up in 2018 with one quarter of the 12 months into the books.

Macau Travel Industry Council President Andy Wu Keng Kuong told local news agencies this week that the Special Administrative Region (SAR) government requires to be ready to handle big amounts of site visitors 356 days a year, in comparison to only at top times like Golden Week.

‘We don’t foresee there is a jump in the amount of tourists coming weekend that is last Wu told the Macau Information Agency. ‘Related government departments should study more data in purchase to raised organize and get ready for the development of tourists.’

Wu believes room rates during major vacations, that are of course at premium levels, has some mainlanders postponing their trips to times that are off-peak as mid-April.

The travel industry president is urging the government to enhance border crossing procedures, and look to invest in new general public transport.

UFC Fight Night Delivers Knockout Profit for Atlantic City

Saturday’s UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) Fight evening event at Boardwalk Hall delivered a showing that is strong the Atlantic City economy, as 9,541 fans stuffed into the arena generating a gate of $923,720.

Kevin Lee (left) defeated Edson Barboza within the headlining fight at UFC Fight 128 in Atlantic City night. (Image: Noah Murray/USA TODAY Recreations)

The New Jersey Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA) struck a $4 million deal with William Morris Endeavor (WME) in July 2017 to bring large activities to the beachfront town. CRDA officials praised Saturday’s UFC showing.

‘Our partnership with WME is mostly about bringing offseason destination events to Atlantic City, and the UFC Fight Night event did not disappoint,’ CRDA Executive Director Christopher Howard declared to the Press of Atlantic City. ‘These events continues to draw visitors to Atlantic City and display Boardwalk Hall.’

Mayor Frank Gilliam (D) called UFC Fight Night 128 a ‘great success.’ City Council President Marty Small stated UFC was a win for the entire economic community, and believes the 2018 summer is critical to the future of Atlantic City.

Saturday was the first UFC battle in Boardwalk Hall since 2005.

Pay to Play

The CRDA’s $4 million re payment to WME requires the Beverly Hills talent agency and UFC parent business to bring several alleged ‘destination events’ to Boardwalk Hall or the Atlantic City Convention Center.

Destination occasions are concerts and attractions that bring visitors that are outside Atlantic City who are typically required to invest the night at casino resorts.

WME has three future events planned for Boardwalk Hall. They have been the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Tour Unleash the Beast that runs September 14-16, Bear Grylls Survival Challenge (October 12-14), plus the Basketball Hall of Fame Quadruple Header on December 15.

The CRDA also has entertainment contracts with Live country and Comcast NBC-Universal. Live Nation https://gamblingprofessors.com/tr/ was responsible for last summer’s beach concert show that brought musicians Pink and Brantley Gilbert to Atlantic City, and a combined 70,000 fans.

Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming Executive Director Rummy Pandit believes it is a strategy that’s working.

‘The existence of displaying events like the UFC fight features a effect that is synergistic your whole city, generating economic activity which impacts many local businesses from food and beverage to lodging,’ Pandit stated. ‘As New Jersey moves closer to offer legal sports wagering, the synergy between live sporting events and gaming is likely to develop even stronger and have an even greater effect on the local economy.’

2018 Summer

Summer doesn’t officially begin until 21, but things are already heating up in Atlantic City june. With at the very least two new casinos expected to start within the coming months, there’s much enthusiasm around town.

Hard Rock Atlantic City, the previous Trump Taj Mahal that’s being converted into a rock ‘n’ roll-themed resort at a price of $500 million, is set to June that is open 28. The business says it’s focused on entertainment, not gaming, and has now unveiled 60 of its 300 planned concerts in its first year of operation.

Hard Rock headliners include Blake Shelton, Florida Georgia Line, Third Eye Blind, Steely Dan, and Kid Rock.

The shuttered Revel is likewise slated to open this summer as Ocean Resort Casino. The Showboat, which is currently a hotel-only property, is mulling reopening its casino floor, too.

Crown Resorts Hit with More Accusations of Slots Tampering

Australia’s Crown Resorts is facing new accusations of video slot tampering at its flagship Crown Melbourne Casino.

Long-time scourge for the Australian gambling industry Andrew Wilkie thinks Crown Resorts’ gaming license really should not be renewed until all slots-tampering allegations happen thoroughly investigated. (Image: The Examiner)

Longstanding anti-gambling lawmaker and perennial Crown Resorts adversary Andrew Wilkie announced this week he had been approached by a former VIP customer at the casino who claimed staff had provided her with ‘small plastic picks’ to stick to the gaps between gambling buttons on slot machines. These had been used to help keep the buttons depressed, permitting automatic and continuous play.

The girl additionally stated the casino issued her with multiple loyalty cards so she could earn loyalty points playing machines that are multiple once.

Police Informed

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, under Victorian gaming legislation, slots with non-stop spins are permitted in certain specially designated areas of the casino, but tampering with machines that must pass strict regulatory scrutiny could be contrary to the law. For Wilkie, though, there isn’t any doubt.

‘we have actually raised [the allegations] utilizing the VCGLR (Victoria state gaming regulator) personally earlier today,’ he told SMH. ‘ And I also have also written to the principle commissioner of Victoria Police and suggested police additionally need to look at these matters, because if these matters are real, they could be criminal.’

Previous ‘Button Blocking’ Accusations

In March, the VCGLR announced it would commence disciplinary procedures against Crown after finding proof of ‘button blocking’ at the Crown Casino Melbourne.

The regulator’s investigation was prompted by the allegations of three ‘anonymous whistleblowers’ all employees that are ex-Crown testified to Wilkie they had been ordered to ‘shave down’ gambling buttons on slots so customers could jam them in and gamble non-stop. The whistleblowers also claimed they were instructed to eliminate, or ‘blank out,’ specific betting that is low on the machines.

Crown countered that between March and April 2017 it had carried out a trial that is three-week 17 of the casino’s 2,628 slots. The operator said it did maybe not seek approval that is regulatory the trial because it didn’t violate any gambling laws and regulations.

However, these are unwanted allegations for Crown Resorts at time whenever its permit is up for review. Wilkie said he believes there is ‘no method the license should be renewed until all the allegations happen completely investigated’.

‘then i think a cloud hangs over the renewal of their license,’ he added if Crown is found to be guilty of any offences in regard to any of the individual allegations.