Inside Asian Gaming

inside asian gaming July 2016 20 Feature In Focus Asia’s casino operators look to Europe amid dwindling opportunities closer to home. By Muhammad Cohen | Editor at large M ore Chinese tourists are coming to Europe and Asian casino operators are following. Chinese tourists come to Europe to broaden their horizons, enabled by rising incomes at home. Asian casino operators also come to Europe to broaden their horizons, but they’re driven by falling incomes at home. Like the tourists, casino operators find Europe vastly different and more difficult to navigate than their home turf. Those obstacles don’t preclude a successful trip, but it does make the journey far more challenging. This year, mainland Chinese visitors to Western Europe alone will reach 5.1 million according to investment bank CLSA, topping 10 million in 2020. “Over the years there has been a continuing fascination between Asian punters from this part of the world and Europe,” Neptune Group Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Nicholas Niglio says. “Whether it be a new adventure, a change of luck or visiting the kids in boarding school, they will make the journey. Of course, a repeat visit is another story given the flight time, potential culinary disappointments and language confusion.” “Chinese people are willing to go to Europe, not necessarily to gamble, but may do it while they’re there,” Union Gaming Group Head of Asia Equity Research Grant Govertsen says. “I don’t think enough Asian players can come to Europe to make Muhammad Cohen also blogs for Forbes on gaming throughout Asia and wrote Hong Kong On Air , a novel set during the 1997 handover about TV news, love, betrayal, high finance and cheap lingerie. Asian operators look to Europe