Inside Asian Gaming

IAG MAR 2020年3月 亞博匯 14 亞博匯早報 BREAKFAST BRIEFS MELCO ABANDONS PLAN TO BUY SECOND TRANCHE OF CROWN RESORTS SHARES 新濠終止第二輪入股皇冠計劃 MELCO Resorts and Entertainment has abandoned its plans to acquire a second tranche of shares in Australian casino operator Crown Resorts amid an inquiry into Melco’s Australian interest by the New South Wales Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority. The tranche, comprising a 9.99% stake in Crown, relates to an agreement signed between Melco and majority Crown shareholder CPH Crown Holdings Pty Limited – controlled by James Packer – to acquire a combined 19.99% stake across two separate and equal transactions. Melco acquired the first tranche of 67,675,000 shares in June 2019. In a statement, Melco said it will no longer pursue its planned investment in Australia for the second tranche of shares in Crown Resorts, with Melco and CPH Crown Holdings Pty Limited having agreed to terminate the obligation to purchase the second tranche. The Asian IR operator attributed the decision to the impact of the Coronavirus and need to focus on its existing properties across Asia. “Due to the impact of the coronavirus epidemic, including the severe drop in tourism in Asia to Integrated Resort facilities in the region, and the recent decision by the Macau SAR government to close all casinos in Macau, Melco has taken the decision to reassess all non-core investments to be made in 2020,” the company said. 新濠博亞 娛樂發佈公告，稱將暫停對澳洲皇冠 的第二輪入股計劃。新南威爾斯獨立酒業及博 彩管理局目前正在對該項收購計劃進行調查。 新濠博亞此前曾與皇冠的控股股東、由 James Packer持有的CPH Crown Holdings Pty Limited簽署協議，計劃通過兩項獨立且平 等的交易，收購後者19.99%的股權。首半部分 6,767.5萬股的交易已於2019年6月完成。 新濠發表聲明稱，將不再尋求購入澳洲皇 冠第二批股份。而CPH公司及新濠博亞娛樂已 達成合意同意終止根據售股協議購買第二批 股份的責任。 新濠表示，決定終止該筆交易的原因是受 新型冠狀病毒的影響，及需要重點關注其在亞 洲的現有資產。 「由於冠狀病毒流行的影響，包括前往區 內綜合度假設施的亞洲旅客量急降，以及澳門 特別行政區政府最近決定澳門所有娛樂場暫 時停業，新濠博亞娛樂已決定重新評估將於二 零二零年作出的所有非核心投資。」