Inside Asian Gaming

March 2009 | INSIDE ASIAN GAMING MPEL totalled US$22.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2008, up from US$21.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2007, said the parent company. Mocha Clubs generated US$6.7 million of adjusted EBITDA in the fourth quarter of 2008, which compares with US$4.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2007. The number of gaming machines in operation at the Mocha Clubs averaged approximately 1,091 in the fourth quarter of 2008. Average net win per gaming machine per day increased to US$223 in this period, as compared with US$215 in the same period in 2007. As of 1st December 2008, Mocha Clubs assumed management of 95 gaming machines in operation at Crown Macau. MPEL says the financial contribution from these gamingmachines is included inMocha Clubs results from that date. Last week Mocha Clubs’ Mocha Square venue reopened, which added 75 gaming machines to the club unit’s inventory and brought to eight the total number of Mocha locations in Macau. 39 Fair chance D espite the general gloomsurrounding the regional economy, therewas one sunny spell inMacauwhenMelco Crown Entertainment held a recruitment fair for its City of Dreams resort. Even before the economic crisis, casino recruitment fairs tended to attract droves of locals. The reason was operators tended to pay much better wages than any other local businesses. It may be a sign of the times that the City of Dreams fair was also mobbed, but this time it may be more in desperation than in high expectation. It’s unlikely in present trading conditions the company will be able to provide the kinds of pay and conditions originally offered to staff at MPEL’s Crown Macau venue when it opened in May 2007. City of Dreams, due to open on Cotai later this year, has 7,000 positions available. The organisers of the two-day recruitment event at Macau Tower said nearly 9,000 people registered online or by phone before the doors even opened.