第３種郵便物認可 Special Economic Reports The Japan Times Wednesday, august 1, 2012 5

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www.worldeyereports.com Asian gaming epicenter aims to strengthen multi-industry portfolio Melco Crown Entertainment’s trump card for diversity acau is one of the most cent mainly because of the influx 2011 this spe- fter the liberalization of the gaming market In a further bid to broaden its offerings and reach unique success stories of of visitors from mainland . cialty within the by the Macau Government in 2002, Melco a wider range of customers, Melco Crown Entertain- the 21st century. What Much of this growth can be at- gaming sector ACrown Entertainment secured a gaming sub- ment acquired a majority stake in in 2011. M concession through its Macau subsidiary and began Studio City is envisioned as a large-scale integrated used to be a simple fishing village tributed to Macau’s pro-business resulted in about and trading port has been trans- environment. “Ever since China’s 75 percent of to- planning to build a unique, integrated entertainment entertainment, retail and gaming resort targeting visi- formed into one of the world’s top resumption of the exercise of sover- tal profits. resort in the territory. , co-chairman and tors from mainland China and the rest of Asia, with a destinations. eignty over Macau in 1999, Macau “Today, VIP CEO of Melco Crown Entertainment, foresaw great cinematic theme that is an ideal marriage of entertain- As China and Japan celebrate enjoys wide-ranging and close rela- rooms are do- potential in Macau. ment and lifestyle attractions. their 40th anniversary of normal- tionships with most global econo- ing very well for The company’s first casino hotel, Altira Macau “This site is perfect as a mid-segment mass-market ized relations in 2012, the former mies,” says Sou Tim Peng, director both the industry (formerly Crown Macau), was opened in 2007. Mel- venue,” says Ho. “Altira Macau is our exclusive VIP Portuguese colony of Macau — of the government’s Macau SAR and Macau. As co Crown Entertainment also owns Mocha Clubs, property. is our higher-end anchor now one of China’s special ad- Economic Services. one of the driv- Macau’s largest non-casino-based operator of elec- property. Meanwhile, Studio City will welcome the ministrative regions (SAR) — is “Pursuant to its free port poli- ing forces in the tronic gaming machines. Its flagship integrated re- masses. positioning itself to be a regional cy and market economy system, gaming industry sort, City of Dreams, welcomed its first visitors in “We aren’t cannibalizing ourselves,” he affirms. tourism center for both the gam- Macau SAR applies no restrictions in Macau, we 2009 and was the only new resort to open in Macau “The movie theme presents a wide spectrum of de- ing and non-gaming sectors. It also on the flow of goods,” he contin- expect further that year while others struggled to cope with the sign options. Though we haven’t unveiled any of the aims to broaden its business port- ues. “Low taxation, unrestricted growth and sub- global financial crisis. graphics yet, I can say it will be different in style from folio in other industries while con- financial movement, social stabil- stantial profits Following the company’s NASDAQ listing in City of Dreams and Altira Macau. We’re packing it tinuing to capitalize on its primary ity and relatively low operating and in the VIP sector 2006, Melco Crown Entertainment completed a dual with lots of attractions, including something similar to sector today: gaming and hospital- labor costs provide Macau with a overall,” com- MELCO CROWN ENTERTAINMENT listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in Decem- the Bubble, the dome-shaped venue hosting the multi- ity. good environment that attracts in- ments Kenny Macau continues to grow its spectacular skyline defined by an astronomical level of luxury and ber 2011, and subsequently captured the attention of media show Dragon’s Treasure, but even better. There vestors. Additionally, its strategic Leong, CEO of class, an example of which is Melco Crown Entertainment’s City of Dreams. The City of Dreams investors around the world by posting an approxi- will also be a Kids’ City, all with movie motifs. There Growing Macau location, together with a well-estab- Asia Entertain- is just one of Macau’s widening array of integrated hotels and casinos. mately 17-fold gain in earnings and a 27 percent rise will be facilities available for productions such as real- From sleepy port city to pulsing lished legal system, gives Macau a ment and Re- integrity above all other consider- greatly support Macau’s goal of in net revenue for the first quarter of 2012 as com- ity shows, along with a multipurpose theater — plenty success story has taken Macau only competitive edge.” sources, one of the biggest players ations, and preserve a strong rela- bettering regional cooperation and pared to the same period in 2011. of things for customers to relax and enjoy.” a little more than a decade. With a in this profitable niche sector. tionship with all levels of the field effectively promote Macau’s de- Melco Crown Entertainment is committed to offer- Beyond Macau and mainland China, Melco Crown population of just about 500,000, Macau as the global gaming epi- With Macau now the world’s – casinos, suppliers and end us- veloping diversified business port- ing visitors a full range of gaming and non-gaming Entertainment has set its gaze at extending its suc- Macau’s gross domestic product center new gaming epicenter, beating out ers,” explains Larry Xiao, general folio,” he adds. options that work together to create a complete ex- cessful strategic mix of gaming and entertainment in (GDP) has grown nearly 8 times Much of Macau’s development Las Vegas and newcomer Singa- manager of the electronic gaming “Macau serves as a potentially perience. The House of Dancing Water, the world’s Asia. “We have recently conducted careful research of since 2001: from $1.75 billion by can be credited to its tourism and pore, its government is expecting equipment tester GLI Asia. “Reli- strong platform for both Japanese largest and hugely successful water-based show at the Japanese market,” Ho concludes. “We are closely the end of 2001, to nearly $10.5 gaming industries; both have sys- more investment to come, attracted ability and accountability lie at the and international businesses look- City of Dreams, has been playing to packed audi- monitoring the progress of gaming liberalization there billion by the end of 2011. tematically driven Macau’s econo- by the dynamic gaming industry. core not just of our company but ing into both China and South- ences since its opening in September 2010, while ca- while formulating our regional investment plans.”  Overall retail sales volume for my in recent years. The gaming in- Expectations are high as companies also the entire gaming industry in east Asia,” says Jackson Chang, sinos run round-the-clock are just a few steps away. www.melco-crown.com Macau has also seen exponential dustry alone represents 40.2 percent are expecting further growth in the Macau. It’s important that there is president of the Macau Trade The three luxury hotels — Hard Rock Hotel, Crown growth in recent years. From 2010 of Macau’s GDP, while the tourism influx of visitors and players from a high level of trust throughout the and Investment Promotion Insti- Towers and Grand Hyatt Macau — located through- to 2011, it increased by 44.2 per- industry attracted 28 million visi- mainland China, Japan and around marketplace.” tute. “For companies looking into out the City of Dreams perfectly support the resort’s tors into Macau in 2011 alone — the world. China, Macau has strengthened premium-focused strategy, particularly in the mass- 12 percent higher than visitor rates Macau’s growth is attracting new Macau’s diversification its relationship with the mainland market segment. in 2010. investments not only into classic An increased level of govern- through the Closer Economic Melco Crown Entertainment has continued to Previously dominated by “the casino gaming and related tourism, ment support is also being made Partnership Arrangement (CEPA). broaden the Macau visit experience through Dragon’s King of Gambling,” but also into the automated slot- available to non-gaming industries. Macau’s infrastructure is also well Treasure, an award-winning multimedia attraction, of SJM/STDM, Macau’s gaming machine type gaming sector. “We “The Macau SAR government has prepared for the future, especially Kids’ City and Club Cubic. City of Dreams also has industry today is divided among are introducing our best products increased its efforts to promote a with the upcoming Hong Kong- other exclusive entertainment productions including six major gaming concessions and into Macau, the most exciting and more diversified development in Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, and the Legend Fighting Championship, the mixed martial sub-concession holders: Sociedade entertaining ones for the end user,” Macau’s economy,” says Ma Iao new railway link being developed arts (MMA) tournaments, and SPLASH, the hottest de Jogos de Macau (SJM), MGM says Kurt Gissane, managing direc- Lai, president of the Macau Cham- between Guangzhou and Zhuhai. pool party series in Macau. Another trailblazing ini- Paradise Limited, Galaxy Enter- tor of Asia-Pacific for leading slots ber of Commerce. “Recent pro- These projects will all greatly con- tiative is the exclusive, limited-run cabaret produc- tainment, Las Vegas Sands Corp., producer Bally Technologies. “In business policies have contributed tribute to Macau’s overall growth tion, Taboo, which opened this summer. Wynn Resorts and Melco Crown our games we constantly strive to to the growth of sectors such as and global competitiveness. “We are committed to strongly supporting the Entertainment. Gross gaming rev- make them better, more exciting Macau’s convention and exhibition “In the next few years, with Macau government’s initiative to promote tourism enues alone raked in about $33.6 and more localized. Even such a industry, logistics, environmental our strong infrastructure and po- diversification to further enhance a sustainable busi- billion in 2011. simple detail as including Chinese protection and the culture and cre- litical support, we expect that the ness environment in the city,” explains Ho. “We be- The greater part of gaming translations makes a big difference ative industries. economy can only keep growing lieve the strategy will continue to help drive visita- profits in Macau is brought in by in giving Macau’s visitors a better “We are very confident that our strongly,” he concludes. “This tion, length of stay and overall spending in Macau. its VIP junket system. Under this experience.” recent agreements with certain re- should serve as a strong invita- Our dedicated effort in providing diverse and unique

MACAU TRADE AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION INSTITUTE MACAU structure, independent companies As well, maintaining Macau’s gions in China, such as the Guang- tion to Japanese business and the entertainment in Macau has significantly attracted a broader base of customers and created synergies with Jackson Chang, president of Macau and agents bring in high-end play- reputation for fair odds will be a dong-Macau Cooperation Frame- international market to come into MELCO CROWN ENTERTAINMENT Trade and Investment Promotion ers to place their bets in outsourced key component of its continued work agreement and the Macau and position investments our gaming businesses, helping to drive improved Lawrence Ho, co-chairman and CEO of Melco Crown Institute VIP rooms in the major casinos. In success. “It’s important to place Overall Development Plan, will here.”  operating performance.” Entertainment In Macau’s gaming room, trust trumps risk Continuing a tradition n the rarified world of Macau’s VIP gaming rooms, where a single at the Venetian Macao Resort Hotel, the Galaxy Macau Resort and Star- bet on one hand of baccarat can be as much as $250,000, trust is val- World Hotel. of elegance from Las Iued more than any chip. “Eventually, we aim to open VIP rooms with all the Macau gaming “Our entire system is built on relationships,” says Kenny Leong, CEO license holders,” says Leong. “We’ll be able to handle more customers of the NASDAQ-listed VIP room promoter Asia Entertainment and Re- and gain a higher market share.” sources (AERL). “It’s a point of similarity between our Chinese and He ascribes his company’s success to its top-grade service to both Vegas to Macau Japanese patrons: both place trust above everything else. We base our patrons and the all-important agents: those people who find and provide business on it.” lines of credit to the growing number of patrons who can both afford the he Wynn Macau, It’s a business that has grown almost exponentially since the compa- betting levels at the VIP rooms and appreciate the special treatment. considered the ny’s listing in 2010 — from $10.4 billion rolling chip turnover that year So far, all of AERL’s VIP rooms operate on a fixed commission basis, T spearhead prop- to over $19.9 billion in 2011. In April, AERL announced a 36 percent meaning it earns a percentage of the total amount bet by a patron, re- erty of the Wynn Resorts increase in turnover for the month of March 2012 compared to the same gardless of winning or losing. brand in Macau, stands period last year — substantially higher than the corresponding figure for “We want our players to win,” Leong explains, “because we readily out on the Macau skyline Macau’s gaming sector as a whole of 24 percent. get our capital back plus a commission that we can then lend to others like a golden beacon for “We are pleased with our results as we significantly outperformed and get more business.” the hedonistic traveler Macau industry growth,” remarked AERL Chairman Paul M.P. Lam at VIP room promoters such as AERL play a key role in Macau’s gam- and the hopeful gamer. the announcement. His company works at the forefront of the boom that ing sector — absorbing risk that would otherwise have to be borne With 600 elegantly styled has taken over Macau since new gaming concessions were granted by by the casinos. It is risk backed by a very personalized system based hotel rooms and suites, it the government in 2002. on reliance, where lines of trust are far more important than lines of AERL offers an array of interna- More than 75 percent of Macau’s total revenue from gaming now credit.  Ben H.K. Vong (left), COO of Asia Entertainment and Resources and Paul tional and local cuisine, comes from VIP rooms such as theirs. AERL now runs luxury VIP rooms www.aerlf.com M.P. Lam, chairman of Asia Entertainment and Resources spectacular events and exhibitions, and more than 19,000 sq. meters of casino space. The Wynn Macau re- Building a home for international thoroughbred racing in Macau sort complex continues to attract and awe the leisure n 2011, the highlight of the horse-racing season in Macau took also had positive discussions on such key issues as quarantine pro- and professional traveler place in November with the holding of the inaugural Macau tocols,” Li says. by constantly redefining I Sand Premier Cup at the Macau Jockey Club (MJC) facilities. The upshot is that Macau can now accept horse imports from and reinventing its idea of The SAR’s first international race, entries for the cup came from Japan and 10 other countries and regions around the world. In hospitality and glamour.

Europe, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and Japan to April this year, MJC held its JRA Trophy race with prize money The hotel’s in-house WYNN MACAU compete on the sand track in . of HK$350,000 ($45,000). Afterward, Michio Ide, executive vice services have received The Encore at Wynn Macau today stands as MJC’s connection with Japan and Japanese is par- president of JRA, presented trophies to the winners. countless awards for its one of the most prominent structures in the ticularly strong. MJC began as the Macau Trotting Club for harness racing in personalization and luxu- Macau Skyline. “My father was the director of the Asian Racing Conference (now 1980. Nine years later, its concept was changed to classic thorough- ry facilities. In fact, both known as the Asia Racing Federation) and he was a pioneer over 10 bred racing, and then subsequently acquired by a consortium led by the hotel and the hotel spa are the only ones in Macau to have won four years ago in starting our close contacts with the Japan Racing As- Stanley Ho. consecutive Forbes Five-Star awards, from 2009 to 2012. In the same sociation (JRA),” explains Thomas Li, executive director and chief The modernization of MJC and its involvement in the growth of vein, two of its restaurants received Michelin stars in 2012. executive of MJC. the booming Macau economy has proceeded rapidly since then. It Right beside the Wynn Macau stands another example of elegance — Over the years, its relationship with JRA has only intensified. has become one of Macau’s largest private employers. It also con- Encore. The Encore at Wynn Macau, an all-suite boutique hotel, opened Li particularly remembers the (now retired) Japanese jockey Isao tributes to Macau society through its annual Charity Day race that in April 2010 as Wynn Resort’s stunning ode to luxury and elegance. The Sugawara, who distinguished himself racing in MJC in the 1996 has garnered millions of dollars over the past 10 years for worthy Encore has added 414 additional suites to the Wynn Resorts lineup in and 2001 seasons. local causes. Macau, plus two first-rate restaurants, a jewelry-box designed bar and a In 2010, the club brought a group of its horse owners and mem- MJC’s internationalization is continuing to gather steam, espe- world-class spa complete with eight private therapy suites. bers to Japan to visit racing facilities there in Sapporo and Tomako- cially with regard to Japanese racing. In February, three Japanese Today, Wynn looks forward to its new integrated resort being built on mai and witness the MJC Goodwill Trophy race. thoroughbreds arrived in Macau from their home in Japan. Owned Macau’s Cotai Strip. Construction will take about four years. The com- “In our Hokkaido meeting we discussed how MJC and JRA can by a Japanese resident in the SAR, the arrival of the horses should pany plans to invest about $4 billion for the resort set on more than 20 work together to further develop the horse-racing industry in Asia,” further promote interaction between the local Japanese community hectares of land. he recalls. and horse racing as a fascinating and rewarding pastime. Wynn Resorts is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market and is Last year’s international race in Macau promoted a further Li looks forward to the next holding of MJC’s international race part of the S&P 500 and NASDAQ-100 indexes. Aside from the Wynn strengthening of ties between the two entities. and is positive that Japanese participation in Macau horse racing resorts in Macau, Wynn owns and operates both Wynn Las Vegas and the “We worked with both the Macau and Japanese governments to has only just begun.  JOCKEY CLUB MACAU Encore Las Vegas.  pave the way for more Japanese participants to join the race. We www.mjc.mo/race_en/info/index.php Thomas Li, executive director and CEO of Macau Jockey Club www.wynnmacau.com

This supplement was researched and written by Andrew Schmitz and Philippe Disini and edited by Jose Luis Albert in Hong Kong and Macau, and produced by World Eye Reports. If you would like further information, including annual reports, from any of the companies featured in this supplement, send an email to [email protected] with your name, mailing address and specifi c information requested. We will make sure that the companies concerned get your requests and comments.

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