Shun Tak, the holding company of Macau gaming and gambling magnate Dr Stanley Ho, said Tuesday that in 2007 it had posted a net profit of US$128 million, which was a rise of 52.7 percent against 2006, a year in which profit totalled US$85 million.

Shun Tak, which has interests in the sea and air transport, hotel and real estate sectors, also said that the number of passengers carried on the Hong Kong-Macau route was 14 million, which was a year-on-year rise of 15 percent.

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Ahead of it’s City of Dreams Topping-out Ceremony on 1 April 2008 at 12.10pm, comes the the news that casino operator Melco International Development Ltd. said Monday that its 2007 net profit fell 5 percent because of a one-off gain in the previous year.

The Hong Kong-listed company said its net profit in the 12 months ended Dec. 31 was HK$2.69 billion (US$346 million; ?219 million), down from HK$2.84 billion in 2006.

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The world economy remained strong in the first three quarters of 2007, but the momentum tended to slowdown in the fourth quarter; however, the economy of Macau was not much affected due to the support from Mainland China. Driven by the rapid development of the gaming and tourism sector, investment surged substantially and local consumption remained robust; as a result, the economic growth for 2007 was far higher than 2006.

GDP of Macao for 2007 was estimated at US$19.20 billion, up by 27.3% in real terms and the per-capita GDP amounted to US$ 36,357. GDP for the fourth quarter of 2007 recorded an increase of 22.1% in real terms; meanwhile, the rates for the first and second quarters were revised downward from 25.7% and 31.6% to 25.2% and 30.8% respectively, but that for the third quarter was revised upward from 30.9% to 32.2%; for 2006, the rate of growth maintained at 17.0%.

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Posted in Cotai Strip, Economy, Macau Business, Macau Casino, Macau General, Macau Government, Macau Investment, Macau Tourism No Comments »

At the end of the fourth quarter of 2007, there were 44,743 paid employees engaged in the Macau Gaming Industry, up by 22.9% year-on-year. Analyzed by occupation, 30,486 were engaging in positions that are directly related to betting services, such as hard and soft count clerks, cage cashiers, pit bosses, casino floorpersons, dealers, betting service operators, etc., corresponding to a year-on-year growth of 34.5%; meanwhile, 5,341 were working as casino and slot machine attendants/hosts, security and surveillance workers, etc., down by 5.3% from a year earlier.

In December 2007, average earnings (excluding bonuses and allowances) for full-time employees in the Gaming Industry rose by 6.6% year-on-year to US$1,862. Average earnings for employees in positions that are directly related to betting services stood at US$1,867, up by 2.0% over December 2006. The average earnings for services and sales workers, including casino and slot machine attendants/hosts, security and surveillance workers, etc., increased by 10.9% to US$1,119.

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Hot on the heels of our precious invitation from Melco PBL to attend the City of Dreams Topping-out Ceremony on 1 April 2008 at 12.10pm, comes the surprising news about James Packer’s Crown Macau enjoying a huge turn-around, making it the busiest casino in the world in terms of betting volume!

City of Dreams Complex

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Posted in City of Dreams, Crown Macau, Galaxy Entertainment, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Melco PBL, Stanley Ho, Theatre of Dreams No Comments »

Macau’s gaming revenue for this year is expected to see a double-digit increase, the total of which will reach US$12.5 billion, said Lau Pun Lap, member of the Legislative Assembly.

He estimated that this year’s gaming revenue growth will be lower than last year, but as industry development keeps its momentum, a double-digit increase can be sustained this year.

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Sociedade de Jogos de Macau (SJM), partly owned by gaming tycoon Stanley Ho, will start marketing in Hong Kong this week its planned initial public offering of up to 1 billion US dollars worth of shares. SJM plans to offer 1.25 billion new shares, representing about 25 percent of its enlarged share capital.

Deutsche Bank is managing the IPO. And of the shares on offer, 85 percent will be sold to institutional investors, 5 percent to employees and 10 percent to the public.

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Posted in Economy & Business, Macau Gaming, Macau General, STDM | SJM, Stanley Ho, Winnie Ho No Comments »

Melco PBL Entertainment (Macau) Limited, a developer and owner of casino gaming and entertainment resort facilities focused exclusively on the Macau market, today reported financial results for the third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2007. Lawrence Ho, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Chairman of Melco PBL Entertainment, commented, “The third quarter was a transitional period for Crown Macau as the property became fully activated from late July.

Hold adjusted property EBITDA has grown each month during the third quarter, and we are excited by our continued progress in expanding the business. VIP rolling chip volume has shown excellent growth, progressing from US$1.375 billion in July to over US$2.5 billion for the month of October. Based on our estimation for the month of October, Crown Macau’s combined VIP and mass table game market share of the whole market was approximately 8%, continuing the positive growth trend and despite the introduction of a major new entrant into the market.

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Posted in City of Dreams, Crown Macau, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau Casino, Melco PBL, Theatre of Dreams 1 Comment »