Inside Asian Gaming

DECEMBER 2018 INSIDE ASIAN GAMING 81 COLUMNISTS Melco Resorts’ luxury Morpheus hotel have started eliminating the traditional VIP junket areas – a clear indication that Macau is no longer so reliant on the VIP segment. Growing the mass market segment also brings with it other benefits from a tourism perspective, as those visitors are more willing to spend on hotel rooms, restaurants, shopping, watching shows and concerts and visiting tourist attractions as well as trying their luck at the tables. VIPs, opportunity to make the adjustments required to better suit the gaming industry’s future needs and offerings, as well as gaming trends and competitive differentiation for the next 10 to 15 years. For example, market trends show the millennial generation prefers to game online rather than gambling at an actual baccarat or blackjack table. One of the biggest online gaming platforms is the US$9.06 billion eSports industry. With this in mind, online gaming licenses may also be worth considering during the re-tendering process in order to accommodate future demand and to secure a percentage of this unique industry’s massive global market. In Las Vegas, MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment have already added new eSports venues solely dedicated to video gaming competitions. Macau’s re-tendering looms as an important moment in the SAR’s long-term future but also a unique opportunity to take the next big step forward. on the other hand, are profoundly different – often preferring to spend their entire visit gambling. All indications suggest that rapid growth era for Macau’s gaming industry may soon be coming to an end, with Asia’s gaming hub instead reaching maturity. When an industry hits maturity, besides requiring a stronger marketing effort, diversification is often key to maintaining sustainability. License re-tendering provides the best License re-tendering provides the best opportunity to make the adjustments required to better suit the gaming industry’s future needs and offerings, as well as gaming trends and competitive differentiation for the next 10 to 15 years. Macau is unlikely to rely on its VIP gaming industry so heavily in the future.