Inside Asian Gaming

FEBRUARY 2018 INSIDE ASIAN GAMING 17 COVER STORY MC: Is there something you know now about Asia that you wish you knew when you started? PS: When we started Sands Macao we didn’t realize that the Asian customer wants the casino so much brighter. We didn’t actually realize that until we renovated StarWorld. We took a very dark casino and made it a very bright casino and the casino win metrics proved significantly that the Asian gambler wants the casino to be lighter, brighter, crisper than normal. In Vegas it’s always a little bit about hiding. If you read some of the books about casino design from 10 or 15 years ago, they are all about creating confusing layouts with dark colors, dark lighting Steelman Partners rejuvenated Macau’s StarWorld by brightening up the gaming areas “Las Vegas is the most successful entertainment destination in the world and if you ask anyone in the world what they want to create in their first design meetings … it’s something that gives them that feeling of Las Vegas.” and things of this nature. I wish I had known in 2004 that we could have a brighter, more brilliant casino and in fact have it be more successful. MC: How does integrated resort design respond to changes in the business model? PS: Casinos have always been starting on the higher end. But casinos have changed drastically and their financial model has changed drastically. The top casino in Las Vegas 10 years ago would make US$200 million to US$300 million a year, now the top casinos are making