Inside Asian Gaming

inside asian gaming October 2015 8 Feature In Focus than they’re likely to get under the government’s table cap. “Sports book lounges fill up space, attract new clientele, plus keep clientele on the floor longer,” Mr Leppo says. “With limits on tables, they need to fill the space.” “The operator would need to evaluate the profitability of the space that the slot machines take up versus the space that a sports book would take up, if they are trading out space,” The Innovation Group CEO David Rittvo notes. “If they were to use previously underutilized space on the casino floor, then the evaluation would be different. Sports books represent an interesting opportunity to explore a new market in Macau, but like most of the other gaming products, it should be catered to the market.” MORE JOY Sports wagering in casinos could provide some particular benefits for Macau beyond filling floor space. “It’s disappointing that there are no really good sports books in Macau because I would very much like to put down a small wager and then spend a few hours watching a game,” says South China Morning Post Sports Columnist Tim Noonan. He believes sports book lounges would enliven the “almost joyless” atmosphere on Macau gaming floors and make them more welcoming. “The key element for a good sports book is it has to create a buzz, there has to be a fun vibe. They are, after all, the ultimate sports bars.” The Las Vegas version of these sports-fan fantasy lands include “movie theater size projection screens, lounge seating, ambience, even VIP seating with bottle service normally found in nightclubs,” Global Market Advisors Partner Andrew Klebanow, a Las Vegas resident, says. Sands China’s parent company Las Vegas Sands has state-of-the-art sports books in its Venetian and Palazzo resorts in Las Vegas, operated by CG Technologies, formerly Cantor Gaming. just money, Mr Siu believes. “More variety of different games made available to players may be quite likely to elevate the atmosphere of the casino resort as an integrated entertainment venue, hence attracting different type of customers.” “Having a sports book diversifies and completes our product offering in Solaire,” parent company Bloomberry Resorts’ Director of Investor Relation Leo Venezuela says. “By having this diversified and complete product offering, there is no longer any excuse for our customers to leave the property.” “The goal of the casino operator is for the customer to spend as much time and money as possible there,” FoorballBet.com Chairman and CEO David Leppo says. His firm operates sports books in casinos in Cambodia and Laos as well as online betting though its website. He says casinos and sports books complement each other, and expanding sports wagering in Macau “benefits everybody,” particularly with new Cotai resorts built for hundreds more tables “Having a sports book diversifies and completes our product offering in Solaire,” parent company Bloomberry Resorts’ Director of Investor Relation Leo Venezuela says. “By having this diversified and complete product offering, there is no longer any excuse for our customers to leave the property.” “The key element for a good sports book is it has to create a buzz, there has to be a fun vibe. They are, after all, the ultimate sports bars.”