Inside Asian Gaming

IAG NOV 2022年11月 亞博匯 59 1-10 and ceased all sailings around the world. Liquidators have since been selling off assets, including the company’s stake in Philippines IR Resorts World Manila – now renamed Newport World Resorts. Nevertheless, Lim didn’t stay quiet for long. In April it was revealed that the Genting Group patriarch had registered a new company in Singapore called Resorts World Cruises Pte Ltd, which has since launched its first cruises using, ironically, a ship previously owned and operated by Genting Hong Kong subsidiary Dream Cruises. No doubt that went down poorly with private investors. More importantly, the easing of COVID-19 restrictions across Asia saw both Genting Malaysia, owner of Resorts World Genting (RWG), and Genting Singapore, owner of Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), enjoy a strong resurgence by the June quarter as pent-up demand saw customers return in droves. At RWG, revenues increased five-fold in Q2 to MYR1.31 billion (US$293 million), pushing the company back to an EBITDA profit for the first time since 2020, while RWS was also in the black on a 26% year-on-year increase in revenues to SG$349 million (US$255 million). Unlike many of his industry peers in the region, KT Lim’s COVID blushes may well have been saved by his lack of any significant presence in Macau, where China’s strict adherence to COVID-zero has seen operators notch huge losses for well over two years now. And yet, in a move that shocked many, it was Lim throwing a spanner in the works when a subsidiary of Genting Malaysia joined Macau’s six current concessionaires in mid-September in submitting a bid for a new Macau concession. While many industry commentators continue to anticipate the current six to win the favor of the Macau government – leaving Genting on the out, given no more than six concessions can be awarded – there are some who believe Lim may well have a few more tricks up his sleeve. After all, Genting’s array of global resorts are renowned for their strong non-gaming offerings and family-friendly attractions – both known to be important aspects of Macau’s tender requirements. Only time will tell on that front, but it does highlight a philosophy that has served Lim so well over the years – when one door closes, another inevitably opens. 林國泰 那一直處於變幻當中的著名雲頂品牌，在其充滿雄心壯志 的郵輪業務受到新冠肺炎大流行的沉重打擊後，還是以新姿態回 歸馬來西亞、新加坡和美國等主要市場，在2022年再次成為環 球博彩業的焦點。 林國泰本身對於成功路途上的起伏浮沉也許並不陌生，但他 卻不太可能經歷過像雲頂香港倒閉這種重大打擊。 在沒有太多選擇的情況下，加上美國當局對於水晶郵輪品牌 旗下船隻進行扣押，雲頂香港最後提出清盤呈請，並且停止在世 界各地的航海旅程。清盤人之後就開始出售公司的資產，包括其 在菲律賓綜合度假村新港世界（原馬尼拉名勝世界）的權益。 可是，林國泰並沒有沉寂太長時間。到了四月，這位雲頂集 團的大家長被揭露在新加坡註冊了一間名為Resorts World Cruises Pte Ltd的新公司，並很快就開展了首次行程，也諷刺地用上了從前 雲頂香港的子公司星夢郵輪旗下的船隻。私人投資者對於此事的負 面反應，自然可想而知。 更重要的是，當亞洲各地都在放寬新冠疫情相關限制時，擁 有雲頂名勝世界的雲頂馬來西亞和經營聖淘沙名勝世界的雲頂新 加坡，都在服務需求於早前受到壓抑的情況下，出現了客人蜂蛹 回來的狀況，並且在六月當季嚐到了強勁的復甦。 在雲頂名勝世界，那裏的收入於第二季翻了五番至13.1億 馬幣(2.93億美元)，令該公司的EBITDA自2020年來首次轉虧為 盈。新加坡名勝世界也錄得盈利，收入更按年上升26%至3.49億 新幣(2.55億美元)。 與很多區內同業有所不同，林國泰可能沒有在澳門涉獵太 深，避過了好些尷尬的情況。在當地的營運商都由於中國對新冠 清零政策的堅持，承受了超過兩年的虧損。可是林國泰卻走了一 步令各界震驚的棋，讓一間雲頂馬來西亞的子公司與澳門現時6 間專營公司一起，在9月遞交文件，競逐賭牌，讓這場原本平淡 無奇的投牌過程頓起波瀾。 雖然很多業界評論都繼續預期，現時6間公司將繼續得到澳 門政府的青睞，並在賭牌數字僅限於最多6張的情況下，繼續把 雲頂拒諸門外。但有些人就相信，林國泰可能依然留有一手，畢 竟雲頂旗下的環球度假村，都因它們出色的非博彩選項及吸引家 庭客的賣點聞名於世，這兩樣都是澳門投標要求中眾所周知的重 要部分。 那方面的結果，只有待時間來揭曉，但這事也揭示了一個長 年都對林國泰十分有益的哲學：當一道門關上後，另一道就必然 會開啟。