Inside Asian Gaming

September 2011 | INSIDE ASIAN GAMING 39 Asian Gaming 50 – 2011 23 (-) Gabriel Hunterton Chief Operating Officer StarWorld Hotel & Casino Gabriel Hunterton joined Galaxy Entertainment Group (“GEG”) in December 2009 as Chief Operating Officer of StarWorld Hotel & Casino. His brief was to “develop and refine” the performance of the property from an already strong base, and to prepare it for the impact of the opening of Galaxy Macau. The consensus in the industry is that he has met and even exceeded this objective.That wasn’t inevitable. Mr Hunterton had not only to maintain and build StarWorld’s share of the vital Macau VIP market in an increasingly competitive environment together with a great business development team , but he also had to develop some mass-market loyalty for the property as a holding position for the entire group. That was until the ‘cavalry’ arrived—in the form of the company’s integrated Cotai resort, Galaxy Macau, in May this year. In terms of the fresh competition, between Mr Hunterton’s appointment in December 2009 and the end of the first quarter this year (i.e. prior to the opening of Galaxy Macau), the number of tables in the Macau market only grew by 1.7%. That was due to the government’s table cap. But table gross gaming revenue market-wide shot up 88% in that time—most of it driven by VIP baccarat. For a property to register improved performance under those circumstances might look like it merely benefited from, as one leading Macau gaming operator put it, “a rising tide that carries all boats”. But as any executive working for a company already strong in their segment will tell you, a lead is yours to