The CEO of Macau’s biggest junket operator, Suncity Group, believes the government needs to worry less about what other jurisdictions are doing and focus more on maintaining Macau’s position as the global gaming leader, claiming the city is “already the World Center of Tourism.”
His comments came during a panel discussion at MGS Entertainment Show on Tuesday with Meg-Star International CEO Thomas Pang and MGEMA Chairman Jay Chun which aimed to examine the role technology will play in the future of Macau’s junket industry. Instead, Chau took aim at the government’s push for diversification, insisting that Macau is already diversified and that greater focus should be applied to assisting the continued growth of the gaming industry.
“Ten years ago we were all worried about Singapore becoming the World Center of Tourism and overtaking Macau in the gaming sector but in fact Macau’s gaming industry has gone up since then,” he said.
“Macau is already diversified. We are just a small city but we don’t need to worry so much about the other regions. The business model of Macau is quite different so do we even need to refer to the other regions?
“Why not just recognize that we are already the World Center of Tourism and that Macau has established its own advantages? We need to stop pushing to spend more money (on diversification).”
Pointing specifically to Suncity’s history over the past decade, Chau said the company had already invested heavily in diversification including bringing world renowned performers to Macau and providing a range of activities for its VIP clients to enjoy.
“We focussed on our gambling features when we started but looking back, if we had focussed just on gaming it would not have been sustainable,” he said.
His viewpoint was echoed by Meg-Star International boss Pang (pictured above), who urged the government to “further recognize the role junkets play in attracting people to Macau.”
“They must show more support,” Pang said. “My main work is establishing high-end tourism. Gambling is one of the products of tourism. Food, shopping and gambling are all factors in a healthy tourism industry.”
