WGM#38 NOV/DEC 2015
The Macau gaming industry is synonymous with junkets. First started by none other than Stanley Ho in the 1960s, these junkets and the VIP gamblers they provide have played a vital role in Macau’s rise over the past decade. However, the recent downturn has changed the landscape in this unique part of the world with the junket business suffering more than any other and a number of VIP rooms being forced to close in Macau over the past 12 months. So what does the future hold? In this issue of WGM, we speak exclusively to the Chairman of one of Macau’s biggest junket operators Tak Chun Group, Mr Levo Chan, about the current gaming climate, his expectations for the coming years and why Tak Chun has expanded while other junkets have slowed right down. Poker fans will enjoy our lengthy and intriguing interview with World Series of Poker (WSOP) Tournament Director Jack Effel who explains just how much goes into organizing the world’s biggest tournament series each and every year as well as regaling us with some of his favorite stories from the past. We tackle the smoking debate as Macau’s legislators decide whether to allow smoking in specially designated smoking lounges or ban the habit altogether, while our responsible gambling series sees us visit one of Macau’s main problem gambling treatment centres. In sport, we look at Manchester United’s big gamble on teen star Anthony Martial as well as examining which of the world’s major sports would benefit most from cracking the lucrative Chinese market. And our resident party animal tells us all about one of Macau’s newest trendy nightspots – Ritz-Carlton Bar & Lounge.
The Macau gaming industry is synonymous with junkets. First started by none other than Stanley Ho in the 1960s, these junkets and the VIP gamblers they provide have played a vital role in Macau’s rise over the past decade.
However, the recent downturn has changed the landscape in this unique part of the world with the junket business suffering more than any other and a number of VIP rooms being forced to close in Macau over the past 12 months. So what does the future hold? In this issue of WGM, we speak exclusively to the Chairman of one of Macau’s biggest junket operators Tak Chun Group, Mr Levo Chan, about the current gaming climate, his expectations for the coming years and why Tak Chun has expanded while other junkets have slowed right down.
Poker fans will enjoy our lengthy and intriguing interview with World Series of Poker (WSOP) Tournament Director Jack Effel who explains just how much goes into organizing the world’s biggest tournament series each and every year as well as regaling us with some of his favorite stories from the past.
We tackle the smoking debate as Macau’s legislators decide whether to allow smoking in specially designated smoking lounges or ban the habit altogether, while our responsible gambling series sees us visit one of Macau’s main problem gambling treatment centres.
In sport, we look at Manchester United’s big gamble on teen star Anthony Martial as well as examining which of the world’s major sports would benefit most from cracking the lucrative Chinese market.
And our resident party animal tells us all about one of Macau’s newest trendy nightspots – Ritz-Carlton Bar & Lounge.
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编 者 寄 语<br />
在 近 期 澳 门 博 彩 业 的 衰 退 中 , 业 内 没 有 谁 比 中 介 人 运 营 商 陷 入 更 大 的 困 境 。 贵<br />
宾 业 务 曾 经 占 据 澳 门 博 彩 收 入 的 70% 左 右 , 在 过 去 18 个 月 受 到 的 打 击 最 大 , 月<br />
度 收 入 较 上 年 同 比 下 降 40% 以 上 - 贵 宾 业 务 在 博 彩 收 入 中 的 比 重 大 幅 削 减 至<br />
约 50%。<br />
对 底 线 如 此 巨 大 的 冲 击 迫 使 若 干 中 介 人 退 场 , 然 而 澳 门 领 先 中 介 人 运 营 商<br />
之 一 - 德 晋 集 团 逆 流 而 上 , 不 仅 存 活 下 来 , 还 实 现 蓬 勃 发 展 。<strong>2015</strong> 年 他 们 在<br />
澳 门 增 设 了 两 间 全 新 的 贵 宾 厅 , 另 有 一 间 在 韩 国 。<br />
过 去 五 年 多 , 德 晋 集 团 主 席 陈 荣 炼 先 生 没 有 接 受 过 任 何 媒 体 采 访 , 因 此 这<br />
次 WGM 十 分 有 幸 与 陈 先 生 坐 下 来 , 就 他 的 公 司 以 及 澳 门 中 介 人 行 业 的 现 状 进 行<br />
一 次 长 谈 。<br />
敬 请 在 第 22 页 阅 读 详 情 。<br />
11 月 的 到 来 , 也 意 味 着 世 界 扑 克 锦 标 赛 (WSOP) 即 将 迎 来 决 战 时 刻 。 有 鉴<br />
于 此 , 本 期 我 们 与 WSOP 赛 事 总 监 杰 克 · 埃 菲 尔 (Jack Effel) 详 谈 了 扑 克 界 这<br />
场 最 享 负 盛 名 的 赛 事 。<br />
负 责 任 博 彩 系 列 文 章 继 续 , 我 们 与 澳 门 赌 瘾 治 疗 中 心 之 一 的 运 营 者 做 了 交<br />
流 ; 此 外 还 就 澳 门 博 彩 业 当 前 面 临 的 另 一 个 主 要 问 题 - 娱 乐 场 吸 烟 发 表 了 看<br />
法 。<br />
对 体 育 迷 来 说 , 我 们 关 注 了 曼 联 本 赛 季 在 此 前 名 不 见 经 传 的 年 轻 球 员 安 东<br />
尼 · 马 夏 尔 身 上 押 的 赌 注 ; 同 时 预 言 了 哪 些 运 动 我 们 认 为 会 从 攻 克 中 国 市 场 中<br />
受 益 最 大 。<br />
我 们 的 常 驻 派 对 达 人 带 我 们 踏 上 拉 斯 维 加 斯 之 旅 , 到 Triple George Grill<br />
享 用 难 忘 晚 餐 , 再 回 到 澳 门 , 体 验 城 内 最 新 的 夜 生 活 热 点 之 一 - 丽 思 酒 廊 。<br />
From the Editor’s Desk<br />
No segment of the Macau gaming industry has suffered more through the recent downturn than<br />
junkets. Once responsible for around 70 percent of all gaming revenue in Macau, the VIP business<br />
has been by far the hardest hit over the past 18 months with monthly revenue regularly down by<br />
over 40 percent year on year – slashing VIP business to around 50 percent of all gaming revenue.<br />
Such a massive hit to the bottom line has forced a number of junkets to shut down, but<br />
defying the trend to not only survive but flourish has been one of Macau’s leading junkets, Tak<br />
Chun Group, who have opened two brand new VIP rooms in Macau and another in Korea in <strong>2015</strong>.<br />
It has been more than five years since Tak Chun’s Chairman, Mr Levo Chan, last granted a<br />
media interview but WGM was lucky enough to be granted the opportunity to sit down with Mr<br />
Chan for a lengthy chat about his company and the state of Macau’s junket industry.<br />
Read all about it on page 22.<br />
It’s November which means it is time for the World Series of Poker’s November Nine. With that<br />
in mind, we talk at length this issue with none other than WSOP Tournament Director Jack Effel<br />
about poker’s most prestigious event.<br />
Our insightful series on Responsible Gambling continues as we speak to the operators of one<br />
of Macau’s gambling addiction treatment centres, while we give our take on another major issue<br />
facing Macau’s gaming industry right now – smoking.<br />
For sports fans, we look at Manchester United’s big gamble on previously unheralded<br />
youngster Anthony Martial this EPL season as well as prophesizing on which sports we believe<br />
would benefit most from cracking the lucrative Chinese market.<br />
And our resident party people take us on a journey to Las Vegas to dine at the impressive<br />
Triple George Grill before returning to Macau to sample one of her newest nightspots – Ritz-<br />
Carlton Bar & Lounge.<br />
As always, follow the dragon,<br />
Andrew W Scott, CEO<br />
Ben Blaschke, Managing Editor
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