Inside Asian Gaming

inside asian gaming November 2016 24 Industry profile Mr Jay Chun proposed an idea to form an association to represent our industry to communicate with the government and foster the members within the industry. He invited me to play a part in it. IAG: Macau’s gaming industry is constantly evolving. What do you believe will be the next phase of its evolution? RL: Labor costs have to go up eventually, according to what happened to Vegas, and electronic gaming must be the solution. On one hand, Macau has to diversify its revenue away from gaming only and electronic gaming could be the most effective way to contribute to the prime income but with the lowest manpower cost. The Government may consider putting more resources into the “I have lived in many countries in the world and I can assure you that the locals here are the kindest on our planet.” technology and innovation sectors. Macau is now part of China and we do have a sharp edge on these. IAG: The MGS Entertainment Show turns four this year. What has it been like being part of its development and seeing it grow each year in that time? RL: Frankly, the MGS Entertainment Show has been doing better than we had expected, almost doubling its floor size every year. In addition, the show is now not only about gaming, but also includes entertainment including shows, hospitality, food and beverage, entertainment and services, which follows the Government direction to diversify the position of Macau away from only gaming. We are expecting the MGS Entertainment Show will evolve into the biggest trade show for representing Macau in the near future. IAG: Outside of the gaming industry, what do you enjoy most about Macau? RL: The people, food and seamless links with mainland China. I have lived in many countries in the world and I can assure you that the locals here are the kindest on our planet. IAG: Finally Ronald, what do you do to relax in your spare time? RL: Macau is the most crowded place in the world, but you know what? We have two golf courses here plus there is quite a lot of green area in this region. I usually ride my bicycle around Macau and play rounds of golf with friends. The Macau Open is one of the biggest golf competitions in Asia and I suggest that the Macau Government should support this more. “During a gathering we had, our Chairman Mr Jay Chun proposed an idea to form an association to represent our industry to communicate with the government and foster the members within the industry. He invited me to play a part in it.”