20 David Sisk
PROPERTY PRESIDENT
City of Dreams Macau
POWER SCORE: 1,214
POSITION LAST YEAR: —
CLAIMS TO FAME
Brought in from Studio City to oversee Melco’s flagship property
Industry veteran, having worked in senior roles at Sands China, Resorts World Sentosa, Wynn Las Vegas and Caesars
Former Studio City President David Sisk found himself in charge of Melco Resorts & Entertainment’s flagship Macau property City of Dreams in January as part of a major reshuffle that saw predecessor Gabe Hunterton out the door, Geoff Andres moved from CoD Manila to Studio City and Kevin Benning handed the keys to Melco’s Manila operation.
Sisk’s task is simple: rejuvenate the IR’s under-performing premium mass segment – one easier said than done while City of Dreams continues to undergo substantial upgrades to its gaming space including ongoing construction of new VIP rooms in the space formerly occupied by PokerStars LIVE Macau.
Nevertheless, Sisk has at least been handed a much needed leg up with the launch of luxury hotel tower Morpheus in June, described by Chairman and CEO Lawrence Ho as “an architectural masterpiece” that “will become a tourist attraction in Macau – an icon for quality, taste and vision.”
While ramp of CoD under Sisk remains slow, the longer-term outlook is more positive with Bernstein’s Vitaly Umansky commenting, “City of Dreams Macau is a turnaround story after a weak 2017 – set to show strong growth with the opening of Morpheus and operational and marketing enhancements.”
3Q18 results were also promising, with both VIP rolling chip and mass table drop at City of Dreams up for the quarter even if luck wasn’t on Melco’s side.
For the full list of 2018 Asian Gaming Power 50 winners, click here.
