MGM China CEO and Executive Director Grant Bowie says the company is confident its new US$3.4 billion Macau integrated resort, MGM Cotai, will be ready to open by 29 January despite having yet to receive license approvals.
Speaking to Macau government broadcaster TDM, Bowie said that MGM China was working closely with the government to meet the “stringent standards” required to be given the green light.
“We’re still certainly working towards our 29th opening,” he is quoted as saying. “We’re working through now with the government with all the approvals. I think most people now in Macau, we have very stringent standards and we’re working through those processes and collaborating with the government.
“We’re confident that we can make the 29th opening.”
However, Bowie confirmed that MGM was facing a manpower shortage and would have to transfer a number of employees from its peninsula property MGM Macau to its new Cotai resort. The company will also hire qualified non-resident workers.
A lack of workers is causing similar headaches for Imperial Pacific International (IPI) in Saipan where it is racing the clock to finish construction of the casino and hotel at Imperial Pacific Resort by August 2018.
In an interview with Marianas Variety, IPI Chairman Mark Brown revealed that “construction is moving along” but “obviously not as quickly as we anticipated” due to a shortage in the number of construction workers on the island.
“We are dealing with it,” he said. “The whole island is dealing with these same workforce issues.”
Brown said that the company had since hired workers from the US and the US territory of Guam who were expected to arrive soon.
“We will have 200 coming within the next month on top of the 200 workers that we have now. I wish we had 1,500 workers, but if we can have 300 to 400, we’ll still be able to handle it and we’ll get through it,” he explained. “We’ll meet our target which is August of 2018. This building will be completed on time.”
IPI announced in July that it had signed a written amendment to its original Casino License Agreement reducing the number of development phases from five to two and extending the deadline for full completion by eight years to 13 August 2028.
Under the revised Casino License Agreement signed on Monday, IPI has until 31 August 2018 to complete its initial gaming facility, which opened for business that month.
The gaming facility incorporates a 329 room luxury hotel; 14,140 square meters of gaming area; 3,870 square meters of food and beverage outlets; 186 square meters of retail space; 930 square meters of meeting space; 15 villas; and 1,500 square meters of spa and fitness area.
