Casinos/Gambling – Gambling Revenue In Macau Surged in August
In China, the month of August 2010 saw a dramatic rise in the gambling revenue generated by Macau casino.
The month of August 2010 saw a dramatic rise in the gambling revenue generated by Macau casino in China. Currently, casino games are very popular in China.
There was a substantial 40% increase in August, compared to the revenue generated the same month a year earlier. Earlier in the year, the growth had slowed dramatically, compared to the heady pace that was seen in the year prior.
However, the 40% increase showed that the robust gambling center in China had clearly fully recovered from the down turn in business that was seen for the entire beginning of the year of 2009.
The second half of last year saw plenty of obstacles and problems to overcome. From a global economic down turn that plummeted many businesses both big and small, plus a swine flu outbreak that had the world panicked, as well as visa restrictions on gamblers that were on the mainland of China.
However, through all this Macau's casinos were able to shake off and make a huge rebound in spite of so many obstacles. There will most likely be an easing off of percentages rises for the rest of the year, as well as the growth slowing as well from the original 70% year to year growth rate.
Macau to establish as a retail destination
To give luxury shoppers distinctive products that are not easily obtained somewhere else is the goal in an established Singapore retail market. The challenge in Macau is just to establish it as a retail destination, on the other hand.
Asia retailing operations, there will be around 50 more shops opening in September at the Marina Bay Sands casino resort in Singapore, according to David Sylvester, Senior Vice President of Las Vegas Sands Corporations’ (LVS). Marina Bay Sands will be home to over 150 stores, with the addition of the new stores, including Dior and Hermes outlets. Engendering estimated annual sales of over S$1 billion dollars, Marina Bay Sands will house about 300 restaurants and stores when totally operational. Of the mall capacity, they currently have contracts to occupy about 95%.
LVS was granted a tender from the Singapore government to construct an integrated resort, back in 2006. The initial segment of Marina Bay Sands opened, on April 27. The resort will include a mall, convention center, 2,560 hotel rooms, a theater, a casino for casino games, and the SkyPark, when completed.
The U.S. $4 billion dollar casino still has a target opening date for the third quarter of 2011, despite difficulty obtaining consistent construction labor. The Sands China Ltd.'s (1928.HK) delayed expansion project in Macau's Cotai area will be advertised to retailers, in just a few weeks. Of the Cotai expansion, sites 5 and 6 will be mid-range.
During the financial crisis, even though many retail shops suffered, most of the retail contracts at the Venetian million-square -foot mall have been renewed and sales are steadily improving.
East Coast Casinos Asian-American Gamblers Lured by Buffets
For the casinos and casino games in the mid-Atlantic states of Delaware, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, more gamblers mean more revenue. Casinos are making every effort to impress, in an effort to attract Asian-Americans to their establishments. They have been trying to cater to the tastes of Chinese, Japanese, Korean and other Asian-American groups in a number of ways.
On this segment of the gambling market that is known, hoping to capitalize, as a group, to have a propensity to gamble, the casinos have hired special consultants to help them market their product. They are printing promotional materials written in the different native Asian languages, new buffet items that are favorites of the Asian community are showing up on the menu and even are featuring TV channels in Chinese or Japanese.
To casino's bottom line, some sushi and some noodles just might be the answer.
Critics worry that casinos are targeting a specific group. At the expense of the Asian people, critics claim that casinos are practicing predatory marketing techniques. Clearly, everyone is free to make their own choice about whether or not to visit a casino. Frankly, the companies that target candy to children or alcohol to adults are more hideous than the marketing efforts of the casinos.
Everyone is looking for an edge, in the ever competitive, cutthroat casino business. To cater to an Asian market that likes to gamble, if renovating a buffet will increase revenue, then that is what will be done. Trying to stop such marketing efforts is nothing more than an exercise in futility.