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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曼 联 的 赌 注 大 获 成 功 United’s gamble paying off<br />
试 过 签 下 托 马 斯 · 穆 勒 、 拉 莫 斯 和 本 泽 马 , 但 尽 管 开 出<br />
天 价 的 报 价 , 都 被 对 方 俱 乐 部 拒 绝 。 拜 仁 执 行 总 裁 鲁 梅<br />
尼 格 抨 击 曼 联 的 转 会 策 略 “ 太 天 真 ”。 整 个 夏 天 浪 费 在<br />
不 切 实 际 的 谈 判 目 标 上 , 最 后 在 关 窗 日 为 马 夏 尔 一 掷 千<br />
金 看 起 来 是 无 奈 之 举 。<br />
还 有 媒 体 指 出 , 如 果 曼 联 球 探 要 在 法 国 考 察 一 个 青<br />
少 年 , 更 明 显 的 目 标 应 该 是 拉 卡 泽 特 。 和 马 夏 尔 一 样 ,<br />
他 也 是 著 名 的 里 昂 青 训 营 培 养 出 来 的 球 员 , 比 马 夏 尔 年<br />
长 四 岁 , 已 经 是 法 国 国 家 队 的 常 客 。 上 赛 季 拉 卡 泽 特 是<br />
法 甲 联 赛 射 手 王 , 拥<br />
有 27 个 联 赛 进 球 。 讽<br />
刺 的 是 , 由 于 欧 洲 豪<br />
门 的 秃 鹰 如 捕 食 猎 物<br />
般 在 上 空 盘 旋 , 里 昂<br />
宣 布 要 想 得 到 拉 卡 泽<br />
特 , 至 少 得 拿 出 5,000 万 欧 元 (3,600 万 英 镑 ) 的 转 会 费<br />
- 这 笔 钱 恰 好 是 曼 联 为 得 到 马 夏 尔 投 入 的 资 金 。 尽 管 一<br />
些 专 家 称 马 夏 尔 是 这 两 人 之 中 更 具 天 赋 的 那 个 , 但 拉 卡<br />
泽 特 看 起 来 更 像 是 曼 联 正 在 寻 找 的 “ 成 品 ” 球 员 。<br />
最 后 大 家 发 现 , 曼 联 的 球 探 笑 到 了 最 后 。 在 为 新 俱<br />
乐 部 效 力 的 最 初 这 些 比 赛 中 , 马 夏 尔 在 进 球 和 创 造 机 会 方<br />
面 , 都 展 现 出 惊 人 的 天 赋 。 在 赛 季 初 3-0 战 胜 桑 德 兰 的 比<br />
赛 中 , 马 夏 尔 得 到 了 全 场 最 佳 球 员 的 称 号 。 这 场 比 赛 不 仅<br />
为 他 迎 来 足 球 界 的 喝 彩 , 也 诞 生 出 难 以 置 信 的 数 据 - 只<br />
有 胡 安 · 马 塔 在 此 前 赛 季 全 部 比 赛 中 创 造 出 的 得 分 机 会 ,<br />
和 马 夏 尔 在 桑 德 兰 一<br />
战 下 半 场 创 造 出 的 得<br />
分 机 会 一 样 多 !<br />
曼 联 看 上 去 要<br />
在 马 夏 尔 的 这 场 赌<br />
2004 年 加 盟 曼 联 的<br />
韦 恩 · 鲁 尼 被 证 明<br />
是 一 笔 超 值 的 引 援<br />
Wayne Rooney<br />
has proved to be a<br />
tremendous buy after<br />
joining United in 2004<br />
United’s stuttering attack needed. After all, their 62 goals last season<br />
left them 11 goals shy of champions Chelsea and 21 behind runnersup<br />
Manchester City respectively. Twelve months earlier their 64 goals<br />
was a staggering 38 fewer than City and 37 less than Liverpool.<br />
The attraction to Martial may have come down to the difficulties<br />
in attracting those elite strikers. It was reported in England that United<br />
had tried and failed to sign Thomas Müller, Sergio Ramos and Benzema<br />
despite offering huge money. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Bayern Munich’s<br />
CEO, blasted United’s transfer tactics as “naive”. And so, having wasted the<br />
summer negotiating with unrealistic targets, their splash on Martial on<br />
the final day of the transfer window looked like their last desperate move.<br />
It was also pointed out that if United was looking to scout a teenager<br />
in France, the obvious target would surely have been Alexandre Lacazette.<br />
Another product of Lyon’s famed youth system but four years older and<br />
already a member of the French national team, Lacazette was top scorer in<br />
Ligue 1 last season with 27 goals. Ironically, with Europe’s big clubs circling,<br />
Lyon had announced a minimum transfer fee of €50 million (£36 million)<br />
– almost exactly the amount United later paid for Martial – and although<br />
some experts have proclaimed Martial the more naturally talented of the<br />
two, Lacazette seemed the “ready-made” option they were looking for.<br />
As it turns out, United’s scouts are having the last laugh. In his<br />
first outings for his new club, Martial exhibited an incredible talent for<br />
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