Inside Asian Gaming

February 2010 | INSIDE ASIAN GAMING item is a rhinestone-covered white glove worn by Mr Jackson in 1983 at Motown’s 25th anniversary TV special, where he sang ‘Billie Jean’ and performed his famous ‘Moonwalk’ for the first time. Ponte 16–half-owned by Dr Stanley Ho’s casino holding company SJM–paid US$350,000 for the glove at a New York auction last year. The management hopes the glove and the other exhibits in the gallery will draw new customers to Ponte 16. The resort is located at the Inner Harbour near the historic centre of Macau but some distance from the peninsula’s other casinos. Ponte 16 currently draws a mainly mass market crowd from the nearby city of Zhuhai in Mainland China. Macau retail keeps on high-rolling Macau’s casino revolution has been accompanied by a shopping revolution as world-class gaming resorts add world class malls stocked with top brands to their product mix. One Central Mall, part of a new high-end complex connected to MGM Grand Macau casino, is the latest addition to the market. It covers 400,000 sq. ft and boasts the biggest Louis Vuitton store in Macau and fourth biggest LV store in the world after Paris, New York and neighbouring Hong Kong. As well as two floors of LV products including a clothing range, the shop also features an exhibition gallery on a third level. Alongside items explaining the history of LV from its mid- 19th century roots in France, the One Central store displays a must- have item for the globe trotting casino patron. Louis Vuitton’s historic Asnières workshop near Paris has created a Casino Trunk. The limited edition item comprises a portable roulette table complete with hand-turned roulette wheel in hardwood, green baize betting surface, chips, card shoe and croupier’s rake. The whole thing packs away when in transit to look like a regular luxury LV travel trunk. As Louis Vuitton’s publicity material puts it: “This exceptional object of desire represents the ultimate combination of pure hedonism and consummate craftsmanship.” The Casino Trunk is fitted with Louis Vuitton’s emblematic natural leather handles, brass S-lock and corners, and is conveniently compact at just 109 centimetres high by 56 cm wide and 56 cm deep. The Trunk opens at both top and front to reveal an array of red microfibre-lined compartments containing all the equipment needed to play games including poker and blackjack as well as roulette. LV has even found room to include in the Trunk one of the company’s celebrated President attaché cases, also in monogram canvas, which may be removed from the trunk and used to carry elements of the games by hand. The Louis Vuitton Casino Trunk is available via special order and is yours for HK$900,000 or local equivalent. On the ticket AndrewHanleyhasbeenpromoted toVicePresident International Sales atTransActTechnologies Inc., a leader in printers for the gaming, retail and financial industries. Mr Hanley was previously Sales Manager Asia & Australia. “Andrew has been with us three years and has been a phenomenal success in Asia. International markets represent one of our strongest growth opportunities and so we want to put one of our best people into that area. We’re thrilled to have Andrew accept this role for us,” said Tracey Chernay, Senior Vice President Sales and Marketing. “I consider it an amazing opportunity and a highlight of my career that TransAct has given me the opportunity to expand my role into markets such as South America,” added Mr Hanley. 45 Briefs Left to right: Ponte 16 Deputy CEO Hoffman Ma, singer Coco Lee and Ponte 16 Chairman Ambrose So and CEO Sonny Yeung Tracey Chernay and Andrew Hanley