Galaxy Launches Mass Market Gaming Floor at StarWorld Macau

One of Macau’s six casino operators Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd has inaugurated a new mass market gaming area on the third floor of a hotel located in downtown Macau. The new gaming facility is located in the StarWorld Hotel and consists of a 108-seater electronic table game area designed like a stadium and offers upto 8 tables of live-dealer games including baccarat, roulette and sic bo.

Minimum bets for live dealer games are HKD25 (US$3.22). Apart from these, there are also 14 traditional live-dealer tables and slot machines. The gaming floor also features the largest infotainment screen in Macau, which will used to deliver content such as sporting events, in addition to results of electronic games. A dining facility has also been opened on the same floor.

The stadium-style installation has been implemented by Hong Kong-based Paradise Entertainment Ltd’s company called LT Game Ltd. Raymond Yap Yin Min who serves as the director for mass market development, premium mass and international premium said that the new facility was opened in response to the prolonged slump in VIP gaming in Macau. Galaxy has earlier built a reputation for catering mostly to VIP gamblers.

In a statement Raymond Yap Yin Min said,

Just like any other operator, we have to adjust to the drop [fall] of the VIP segment. I think the industry is consolidating and that consolidation may continue; but it is really the outcome of the transformation of the [Macau market] to the mass and premium mass [segments] and to other electronic gaming.

Yap said that the launch was marketed via SMS and email campaigns to existing members. VIP casino gross gaming revenue (GGR) fell in Macau by 16 percent year on year in the second quarter of this year while mass market fell by only 1.1 percent year-on- year. Macau’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DCIJ) reported earlier this week that total GGR dropped for 26th straight month in July falling by 4.5 percent.

Speaking on the results, Yap said that the latest report was good news since the margin of decline was reducing to just single digits. He remained hopeful that the second half of 2016 would be better. He stated that Galaxy would be happy with a small rise in its revenue this year over last year since it had completely refurbished its offering. Yap also commented on the budget for Galaxy Macau Phase 3 development being built in the Cotai district stating that it was flexible and depended on the phases and the components involved in them.

Adrian Sterne

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