Macau Visitor Arrivals Up Nine Percent in 2018 First Quarter

Macau Visitor Arrivals Up Nine Percent in 2018 First Quarter

Macau visitor arrivals totaled a lot more than 8.5 million into 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 had been an exceptionally strong period, as tourism traffic jumped more than nine per cent due towards the thirty days having an extra Saturday in 2018 compared to the past year. Visitor arrivals totaled 2.7 million, which is really an 11 per cent fall from February due to that month hosting the all-important Golden Week holiday.

Visitation from Mainland China was up almost ten percent last thirty days, and 13.4 percent into 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 video gaming enclave.

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

Mass Appeal

After 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 a long time and it is in charge of transforming Macau from a sleepy hallow into the planet’s richest gaming hub, casinos no further wish to entirely rely on the high roller to help keep revenues robust.

Mainland China and Hong Kong is in charge of 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, with no surge that is apparent junket activity, means resorts are effectively enticing more associated with mass market.

‘Mass demand is growing to record highs,’ analysts at JP Morgan said week that is last. ‘The pace that this recovery is happening without any discernible rise in promotion shows it’s a genuine need recovery, not artificially pulled ahead.’

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 within the books.

Macau Travel Industry Council President Andy Wu Keng Kuong told local news agencies this week that the Special Administrative Region (SAR) federal government needs to prepare yourself to handle large amounts of visitors 356 days a year, when compared to only at peak times like Golden Week.

‘We don’t foresee there would be a jump in the amount of tourists coming last week-end’ Wu told the Macau News Agency. ‘Related government departments should study more data in order to better organize and prepare for the growth of tourists.’

Wu believes room rates during major vacations, which 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 improve border crossing procedures, and look to buy new public transport.

UFC Fight Delivers Knockout Win for Atlantic City night

Saturday’s UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) Fight Night event at Boardwalk Hall delivered a showing that is strong 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 New Jersey Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA) struck a $4 million handle 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 showcase 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 towards the future of Atlantic City.

Saturday was the UFC that is first fight Boardwalk Hall since 2005.

Pay to Play

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

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

WME has three events that are future for Boardwalk Hall. They are the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Tour Unleash the Beast that operates 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 country and Comcast NBC-Universal. Live Nation 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’s really a strategy that’s working.

‘The presence of sporting events like the UFC fight possesses synergistic impact for the complete city, generating financial task 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 probably will grow even stronger and have an even greater effect on the neighborhood 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 brand new casinos anticipated to open into 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 cost 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 first 12 months of operation.

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

The shuttered Revel is additionally slated to open come july 1st as Ocean Resort Casino. The Showboat, which is 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 dealing with new accusations of video slot tampering at its flagship Crown Melbourne Casino.

Long-time scourge for the gambling that is australian Andrew Wilkie believes Crown Resorts’ gaming license should not be renewed until all slots-tampering allegations were thoroughly investigated. (Image: The Examiner)

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

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

Police Informed

In line with the Sydney Morning Herald, under Victorian video gaming law, slots with non-stop spins are permitted in a few specially designated areas regarding the casino, but tampering with machines that must pass strict scrutiny that is regulatory be contrary to the law. For Wilkie, though, there is absolutely no doubt.

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

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 investigation was prompted by the allegations of three ‘anonymous whistleblowers’ all employees that are ex-Crown testified to Wilkie they had been purchased 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 get rid of, or ‘blank out,’ certain low wagering options on the machines.

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

Nevertheless, these are unwanted allegations for Crown Resorts at time when its license is up for review. Wilkie said he believes there is ‘no method the permit should be renewed until all the allegations have been gamblingprofessors.com completely investigated’.

‘If Crown is found to be guilty of any offences in regards to any one of the individual allegations, then I think a cloud hangs over the renewal of their license,’ he included.