Inside Asian Gaming

IAG MAY 2019年5月 亞博匯 58 IN FOCUS BIG ASK Three months later, though, Somboon’s Star Vegas management contract expired unrenewed. “When we negotiated to extend, his ask was too much and [Donaco] decided to manage it thereafter,” Lim recalls. Attempts to contact Somboon were unsuccessful. Donaco was removed from Star Paradise but casino operations continued, and Star Vegas mainstay junkets relocated there. Star Vegas FY17/18 VIP turnover decreased 52%, gaming revenue fell 40%, EBITDA dove 52% and Donaco wrote down Star Vegas’ license value by AU$143.9 million. In the first half of FY18/19, revenue stabilized but EBITDA fell 29% to AU$13.2 million, and Donaco wrote down another AU$38.2 million of license value. Donaco has tried to rebuild the business by recruiting new junkets fromThailandandbeyond, upgrading facilities and initiating online gaming, with spotty results. It’s obtained injunctions against Star Paradise, subsequently renamed Winsor, and Star Paramax, a casino up the road behind a supermarket. Both continue to operate and a larger casino is under construction. Donaco International’s Executive Director, Group General Counsel and Company Secretary, Ben Reichel Donaco 國際的執行董事、集團總顧問及公司秘書Ben Reichel 但有一點是十分清楚明白的：Somboon背負着一條競業禁止條 款，讓他無法在波貝開設娛樂場，而Donaco也收取每個月十五萬美元 去管理Star Paradise的設施。到了2017年3月，林慶耀在與《亞博匯》的 一場訪談中談到Donaco希望延長Somboon的Star Vegas管理合約。 同時，一旦博彩在泰國合法化，這將會是波貝的惡夢。但Donaco將會 依靠Somboon在泰國的人脈來爭取博彩牌照。 高要求 然而到了三個月後，Somboon的Star Vegas管理合約並沒有得到 續期。 林慶耀回憶道：「當我們在商討續期時，他要求得太多了， （D o n a c o）就決定在此後自己管理。」筆者曾數次嘗試接觸 Somboon，但都沒有成功。 Donaco也從Star Paradise退場，但娛樂場的運作依然持續，Star Vegas的主要中介人都決定過檔Star Paradise。Star Vegas在2017及 2018財政年度的貴賓廳轉碼數減少了52%，博彩收益就下降了40% ，EBITDA同樣跌了五成二。Donaco亦把Star Vegas的牌照價值調低了 1億4千3百90萬澳元。在2018及2019財政年度，公司收入雖然穩定下 來，可是EBITDA依然跌了29%至1千3百20萬澳元。同時，Donaco也再 次把牌照價值調低3千8百20萬澳元。 Donaco嘗試重整業務，從泰國以至更遠的地方招攬貴賓廳中介， 升級設施以及開始推動網上博彩，惟表現很不穩定。公司亦申請到針