Macau Visitor Arrivals Up Nine Percent in 2018 First Quarter

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

Mainland Chinese residents are flocking to Macau.

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

Visitation from Mainland China was up almost ten percent last thirty days, and 13.4 % within the quarter that is first.

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 video 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 positive gains.

Mass Appeal

Following three 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 started rethinking their focus to more of the general populace.

While the VIP has reigned supreme for decades and is in charge of transforming Macau from a sleepy hallow into the world’s gaming hub that is richest, gambling enterprises not any longer wish to entirely depend on the high roller to keep profits robust.

Mainland China and Hong Kong accounts for a lot more than 85 percent of the traffic to Macau. Showing a growth in visitation from the mainland through initial three months of 2018, with no surge that is apparent junket activity, means resorts are successfully enticing more of the mass market.

‘Mass demand is growing to record highs,’ analysts at JP Morgan said week that is last. ‘The pace that this recovery is occurring without any discernible rise in advertising shows 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 revenue and Macau visitor arrivals are both up in 2018 with one quarter of the 12 months in the books.

Macau Travel business Council President Andy Wu Keng Kuong told local news agencies this week that the Special Administrative Region (SAR) government requires to be prepared to manage large quantities of site visitors 356 days a year, when compared to only at top times like Golden Week.

‘We didn’t foresee there is a jump within the quantity of tourists coming weekend that is last Wu told the Macau Information Agency. ‘Related government departments should study more data in purchase to higher organize and plan the development of tourists.’

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

The travel industry president is urging the federal government to boost edge crossing procedures, and look to invest in new general public transportation.

UFC Fight Night Delivers Knockout Profit for Atlantic City

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

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

The nj-new Jersey Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA) struck a $4 million cope with William Morris Endeavor (WME) in July 2017 to create events that are large the beachfront town. CRDA officials praised Saturday’s UFC showing.

‘Our partnership with WME is approximately 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 will continue to draw visitors to Atlantic City and display Boardwalk Hall.’

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

Saturday was the very first UFC fight in Boardwalk Hall since 2005.

Pay to Play

The CRDA’s $4 million payment to WME requires the Beverly Hills talent agency and UFC moms and dad company to create a few so-called ‘destination activities’ to Boardwalk Hall or the Atlantic City Convention Center.

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

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

The CRDA also has entertainment contracts with Live Nation and Comcast NBC-Universal. Live Nation was responsible for last summer’s beach concert series 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’s a strategy that’s working.

‘The presence of displaying events like the UFC fight has a synergistic effect for the complete city, generating financial activity which impacts many local businesses from meals and beverage to lodging,’ Pandit stated. ‘As New Jersey moves closer to provide legal sports wagering, the synergy between live sporting events and video gaming is likely to grow even stronger and have an even greater impact on the local economy.’

2018 Summer

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

Hard Rock Atlantic City, the former 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 claims it’s focused on entertainment, not gaming, and has now unveiled 60 of its 300 planned concerts in its year that is first of.

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

The shuttered Revel is also 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 slot machine tampering at its flagship Crown Melbourne Casino.

Long-time scourge of the gambling that is australian Andrew Wilkie believes Crown Resorts’ gaming permit shouldn’t be renewed until all slots-tampering allegations have been 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 in to the gaps between betting buttons on slots. These had been used to keep the buttons depressed, permitting automatic and play that is continuous.

The lady additionally advertised the casino issued her with multiple loyalty cards so she could make loyalty points while playing multiple machines at once.

Police Informed

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, under Victorian gaming law, slots with non-stop spins are permitted in a few specially designated areas associated with the casino, but tampering with machines that has to pass strict regulatory scrutiny could be against the law. For Wilkie, though, there’s absolutely no doubt.

‘I have actually raised [the allegations] with 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 advised police additionally need to look at these matters, gamblingprofessors.com because if these matters are true, they is unlawful.’

Previous ‘Button Blocking’ Accusations

In March, the VCGLR announced it would commence proceedings that are disciplinary Crown after finding evidence of ‘button blocking’ at the Crown Casino Melbourne.

The regulator’s research was prompted by the allegations of three ‘anonymous whistleblowers’ all ex-Crown workers who testified to Wilkie they had been purchased to ‘shave down’ wagering buttons on slots so customers could jam them in and gamble non-stop. The whistleblowers also claimed they were instructed to remove, or ‘blank out,’ specific low betting options on the machines.

Crown countered that between March and April 2017 it had conducted a three-week trial on 17 of the casino’s 2,628 slots. The operator stated it did perhaps not seek approval that is regulatory the trial because it didn’t violate any gambling rules.

Nevertheless, these are unwelcome allegations for Crown Resorts at a right time whenever its permit is up for review. Wilkie said he believes there is ‘no method the permit should be renewed until all the allegations happen fully 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.