Inside Asian Gaming

DECEMBER 2017 INSIDE ASIAN GAMING 39 ASIAN GAMING POWER 50 2 0 1 7 But the beginning of the end was undoubtedly the October 2016 arrests of 19 Crown Resorts employees in mainland China. The incident was devastating on multiple fronts, not least of which being the damage it caused to Crown’s reputation worldwide. That it took another eight months for the employees to be sentenced didn’t help either, with 16 ultimately jailed before finally being freed in July. Exactly what impact the incident will have on Crown’s VIP business long-term remains to be seen, but VIP turnover at its Melbourne and Perth properties fell 48.9% for the 12 months to 30 June 2017. Packer’s annus horribilis even extended to his personal life, including a high-profile split from fiancée Mariah Carey and the sale of his stake in Hollywood film company RatPac Entertainment, which he and director Brett Ratner formed in 2013. Yet it’s notable that, despite all the drama, Packer has fallen just three places in this year’s Asian Gaming Power 50 list. Our gut feeling expected a greater fall, but Packer’s power score is boosted by Crown’s strength in Australia, where it retains around 65% of local market share and has now paid off much of its debt, ironically due to the AU$3.1 billion in proceeds the Melco sale generated. As for Packer, he too has declared he will move home as all eyes turn to Crown Sydney, due to launch in 2020. Grant Bowie CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MGM China POWER 1,390 LAST 7 SCORE YEAR CLAIMS TO FAME The ranking Macau-based Westerner working in the industry Strong track record in the mass market sector Oversaw opening of Wynn Macau in 2006 13 For MGM China’s head honcho, it must have felt at times like 2017 would never end. With all but one of the company’s fellow concessionaires having now opened their Cotai resorts and reaping the benefits of Macau’s gaming industry recovery, MGM instead spent the year racing the clock to complete its own US$3.4 billion project, MGM Cotai. In the end that race was lost – due in part to the devastating Typhoon Hato that struck Macau on 23 August causing significant