Inside Asian Gaming

March 2012 | INSIDE ASIAN GAMING 45 Briefs committee looking into issues concerning the IRs. Mr Iswaran said: “Responsible gaming is an important aspect of the entire integrated resorts and responsible is not just about regulation, it is also about the operators themselves, stepping up as good corporate citizens. If you look at the practices around the world, if you look at Australia and if you look at some of the other countries, they are an important part of the equation. “Many of them understand very clearly that they have to be ensuring a responsible gaming regime as part of the overall evolution of the market because commercially or in terms of their standing in the committee, it is not in their interest to have some of the egregious aspects become a problem in the community at large.” “The government has a role to play aswell,”addedMr Iswaran.“We need to define clearly what our expectations are. Some of these can be achieved through rules and new legislation or regulations. Some of these would have to be working with the community groups, the National Council for Problem Gambling and other interested parties, and the casino operators working together to implement some of these schemes.” Mr Iswaran said economically, the IRs have done well— contributing to nearly 1.5% of Singapore’s GDP. He said: “When we introduced the integrated resorts in Singapore, the casinos were a small part of a larger project and there were several non-economic contributions we were expecting from them. We have seen the evolution of that whether it is in terms of jobs creation, economic value add and so on. The challenge for us is to work out a framework with the IR operators on how we can continue to work with them, to ensure that our entire IR is of a world-class standard and continues to serve us well.” The outcome of the review of the Casino Control Act will be known in the second half of this year. Melco Crown implements streamlined management structure Melco Crown Entertainment Limited (SEHK: 6883; NASDAQ: MPEL), a developer and owner of casino gaming and entertainment resort facilities focused on the Macau market, last month announced “the implementation of a new, streamlined management structure aimed at enhancing organizational efficiency, as well as improving the integration of gaming and non-gaming operations.” According to a company press release, “To implement our new management structure, Mr Ying Tat Chan [Ted Chan], currently the Co-Chief Operating Officer, Gaming, has been appointed as the Company’s sole Chief Operating Officer, overseeing both gaming and non-gaming activities across City of Dreams, Altira Macau, and Mocha Clubs, with effect fromFebruary 27, 2012. FollowingMr Chan’s appointment as sole Chief Operating Officer, the position of Co-Chief Operating Officer, Operations has been eliminated. Mr Nicholas C Naples, our previous Co-Chief Operating Officer, Operations, has departed from the Company on February 27, 2012 upon mutual agreement.” Lawrence Ho, Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Melco Crown Entertainment, said, “We are encouraged in our belief that the new management structure will make us a more agile company, better positioned to move quickly in a dynamic market. “I am confident that Mr Chan’s breadth and depth of knowledge and experience inMacaumake himuniquely qualified to be our COO, and I believe that he and his team will build on the successes of the last 18 months.” Mr Ho added: “Our new structure is targeted to unlock additional synergies between our gaming and non-gaming operations and to facilitate the delivery of our comprehensive, world-class customer service as efficiently as possible, ultimately for the benefit of the Company, our staff members, and our shareholders. “We thank Mr Naples for his efforts and commitments to the Company and wish him well in his future endeavors.” Beijing implements facilitated visas for mainland MICE visitors to Macau The Chinese central government has implemented a new policy to simplify and speed up the visa application process for mainland visitors to attend certainMICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) events in Macau, according to Union Gaming Research Macau. So far, 28 exhibitions were approved under this new policy and the first exhibition will take place in March. In 2010 (the most recent available data), approximately 656,000 persons attended these events. This accounts for 2.6% of total visitation in that year and represents an increase of 25% year-on-year. According to a note from Union Gaming Research Macau: “We believe that the new policy allowing an easier visa process is likely to have a long term benefit for MICE events and attendees in Macau. Venetian Macao, which will be hosting 17 out of the total 28 events, is the greatest beneficiary of this new policy, given that the property has significantly more MICE space and holds more MICE events than other properties in Macau. We expect that entry from the PRC to Macau will likely continue to become easier and faster, by allowing more people to become eligible for this MICE visa policy as well as electronic (e-visa) systems.” The casino at Marina Bay Sands Ted Chan