Peppa Pig Latest Victim of China Censors
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MASS DRIVES SOARING REAL MADRID ADDS TO ITS GAMING REVENUES LE FRENCH EUROPEAN DOMINANCE Casino revenue rocketed Two-time defending champion past even the most bullish PIANISTS OPEN Madrid will be playing its expectations in April, MAY FESTIVAL fourth Champions League final soaring 28 percent in five years P2 ANALYSIS P3 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW P19 THU.03 May 2018 T. 25º/ 31º C H. 70/ 98% facebook.com/mdtimes + 11,000 MOP 8.00 3039 N.º HKD 10.00 FOUNDER & PUBLISHER Kowie Geldenhuys EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Paulo Coutinho www.macaudailytimes.com.mo “ THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’ ” WORLD BRIEFS RENATO MARQUES RENATO AP PHOTO CHINA The Dominican Republic has established diplomatic relations with China, breaking ties with Beijing’s rival Taiwan in the latest blow to the self-ruled island democracy China has been trying to isolate on the global stage. THAILAND A court in southern Thailand has sentenced six men to death for several bombings in 2016 that killed two people and wounded more than 20, an army spokesman said yesterday. More on p13 AP PHOTO Mayday for freedom KOREA The rival Koreas have dismantled huge loudspeakers used to blare Cold War-style P5,7 propaganda across their of demonstration tense border, as South Korea’s president asked the United Nations to observe the North’s AP PHOTO planned closing of its nuclear test site. More on p12 Suspected militants Peppa Pig latest INDIA shot and killed three men in Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said, as the disputed region victim of China observed a strike to protest the killing of two rebels and a civilian this P11 week during an Indian censors counterinsurgency operation. NIGERIA A pair of explosions killed at least 28 worshippers at a mosque in northeastern Nigeria and wounded at least 56 others, with many of the victims caught in the second blast while trying to flee, police said yesterday. More on backpage 03.05.2018 thu 2 MACAU 澳聞 WWW.MACAUDAILYTIMES.COM.MO Mak: More state GAMING security education Lawmaker Mak Soi Kun has suggested Macau casinos surprise analysts that the Macau SAR government include content about state security in the city’s school textbooks. In a written inquiry delivered to the government, Mak praised as mass market spurs growth the recent exhibition on state security ACAU is beating analys- which bring in higher profit. education, which was organized by ts at their own game. “This time around it’s both the SAR government. He believes that M Casino revenue in the world’s mass and VIP working side the exhibition not only enhanced the BLOOMBERG knowledge of Macau residents about largest gambling hub rocke- by side,” Ho said on Bloom- state security, but also sent a message of ted past even the most bullish berg TV. “Margin on mass is loving the country and loving Macau. As expectations in April, soaring four times higher than VIP. usual, Mak encouraged the government 27.6 percent from a year ear- The mass customers are more to organize more activities about state lier. The result was even more sophisticated and coming to a security. He asked the government impressive as analysts had al- new city to experience the dif- whether it has considered including ready revised their forecasts ferent aspects of it.” additional content on state security into higher in the preceding weeks. Ho added that he expects full- the city’s school textbooks, to help the Figures from the Gaming Ins- year results to come in strong younger generation learn more about pection and Coordination Bu- for Macau operators. it while they are still young. This way, reau (DICJ) showed revenues MGM China Holdings Ltd. children will know how to take the rose 27.6 percent to MOP25.73 led gains in Macau casino initiative to execute their obligations and billion (USD3.18 billion) ver- operators this week. Its sha- responsibilities regarding protection of sus analyst predictions of 18- res climbed as much as 6 per- the state. 22 percent growth. April, often While high rollers continue by high-stakes players, ac- cent to their highest intraday the weakest month of the first to flock to the enclave, Macau cording to Lawrence Ho, level since March 14 in Hong four of the year, grew second- is also seeing more robust bu- Melco Resorts & Entertain- Kong. SJM Holdings Ltd. Lawmaker fastest in 2018 after January. siness from casual gamblers. ment Ltd. chief executive of- and Wynn Macau Ltd. gained April’s revenue shows a nar- Gaming receipts from that so- ficer. The industry has built more than 5 percent, while raises debate rowing of the gap left by Ma- called mass market grew 20 new resorts to actively court the benchmark Hang Seng on investment cau’s two-year gaming reces- percent in the first quarter. the mass market that inclu- Index initially declined 0.5 sion, with the 2018 posting Accumulated gross revenue des families and tourists, percent. MDT/Bloomberg immigration now only 18 percent lower than this year is at MOP102.24 the peak April performance billion ($12.6 billion), which Lawmaker Lei Cheng I has proposed that seen in 2014. represents a 22.2 percent in- the Legislative Assembly (AL) have a debate “Both segments of the market crease year-on-year. JAPAN ON THE RADAR, HAINAN NOT A THREAT on the city’s investment immigration policy. are working so well right now,” And gaming strength is likely In a letter delivered to the AL, Lei explained Grant Govertsen, analyst at to continue into May. The IN AN interview yesterday with he doesn’t think that Hainan that Macau’s laws on important investment Union Gaming Securities Asia month has shown a higher Bloomberg, Lawrence Ho said will ever develop casino resorts immigration and highly skilled professional Ltd., told the Times yesterday. posting than April every year that while Japan continues to to compete with Macau. “I immigration have not been amended for With respect to the VIP seg- since at least 2010, the earliest be a major target for his Melco think the [central] government nearly 20 years, and that existing approval ment, Govertsen believes that year for which DICJ data is Resorts and Entertainment, the is looking at horseracing and standards and supervision are insufficient. the growth is reflective of a available. casino entrepreneur does not see lottery [activities]. We are still Lei pointed out that in 2017, the the development of the Chinese in a good position because I Commission Against Corruption (CCAC) changing attitude among high- “The entire [gaming] market roller visitors, who have beco- has been strong for the who- island of Hainan as a threat. think Macau will always be the discovered forged documents concerning “Other than Macau, I think only place within China where investment immigration cases, and that the me acclimatized to President le year,” said Govertsen when Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption asked about the prospects for Japan is the greatest [casino] gaming is possible. As long as CCAC has criticized Macau’s investment opportunity, in the lifetimes of operators like Melco continue to campaign and see the danger next month. “There is no rea- immigration policy for being flawed. all the [gaming] operators,” he deliver on our promises, I think receding. son why that shouldn’t conti- Lei concluded that Macau’s investment said. “That’s why we are com- the central government and the nue into May.” immigration policy has a big loophole and He said that there had been mitting so much effort toward Macau government will continue requires urgent review and amendment. an “abundance of caution” that This cycle is different from it.” On the other hand, Ho said to support us.” is now peeling away. 2013, when growth was led Vendors unhappy with gov’t proposals then mass market and VIP businesses combi- The government’s proposal concerning the ned with cost controls management of vendors and street market SJM profits take off even have resulted in mate- stalls keeps gathering opposition due to the rial increases in SJM’s proposed regulation requiring vendors and as market share slides EBITDA and net profit street market stalls to apply for operation during the first quar- every six years. The proposal suggests that ter.” in the future, the first-time lease associated AMING operator According to the sta- was mainly due to an small proportion of ga- Nevertheless, the hol- with each stall or vendor will last three years SJM Holdings yes- tement, net gaming improvement in the ming revenue, brought ding company conti- and can be renewed once. This means G every six years vendors will be required terday announced its revenue in the first mass market segment in 14.6 percent more nued to see its market to file a new application. Ung Sau Hong, unaudited financial re- quarter amounted to in self-promoted casi- than in the first quarter share in Macau rece- coordinator for the Civic and Municipal sults for the first quar- HKD8.41 billion, up 6.7 nos. The mass market of 2017. de at a dramatic pace. Affairs Bureau, said that all other regions ter of 2018, showing percent from last year. segment saw growth Speaking on the first In the first quarter of in the world operate street markets on a that the company’s net Meanwhile, adjusted of around 9.5 percent quarter results, Ambro- 2018, the operator con- contract system. He noted that if vendors profit climbed 25.8 per- EBITDA increased 17 year-on-year for the se So, chief executive trolled a 14.7 percent and street market stalls operate well cent year-on-year to percent year-on-year to company, while VIP re- officer of SJM Holdin- share of Macau’s casino during the six-year period, then there will HKD730 million, even HKD987 million.