Resorts World Sentosa’s Chief Casino Officer Andrew MacDonald has revealed he is currently banned from his former property Marina Bay Sands after being issued a Persona Non Grata (PNG) Notice.
The notice, dated 31 July 2024 but posted on MacDonald’s social media accounts on Sunday, states that the veteran casino executive is “prohibited from entering or remaining on any part of Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort premises, including but not limited to the Hotel, Mall, Convention Center and Casino.”
It adds that the prohibition will remain in force until further notice and that MBS operating entity Marina Bay Sands Pte Ltd may take legal action should MacDonald attempt to enter or remain on property.
IAG understands that MBS issued the PNG due to concerns he may have been attempting to poach MBS customers and staff during a series of visits to the property in late July. MacDonald previously spent almost 12 years at MBS, including as Corporate Senior Vice President and Chief Casino Officer, before stepping down in late 2021. He joined cross-town rival Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) around 12 months later as Chief Casino Officer and is also a Director of Resorts World at Sentosa Pte Ltd.
IAG has spoken to MacDonald who denies attempting to poach players or staff and claims all visits to the property during the period in question were purely social in nature. MacDonald clarified that he was speaking to IAG in his personal capacity.
According to his version of events, those visits were primarily made in the company of a close friend, former Crown Melbourne executive Mike Sugrue, who was visiting from Australia. It is acknowledged that MacDonald spoke with two “high value” players he knew personally during those visits but he says both interactions were coincidental and neither were initiated by him. Both MacDonald and Sugrue told IAG that they ran into many current MBS executives during their visits, some of whom even helped make restaurant bookings on their behalf.
MacDonald also confirmed that he visited the casino at MBS late Monday 22 July – to dine at Tong Dim Noodle Bar – and on Friday 26 July following release of Las Vegas Sands’ 2Q24 financial results.
IAG understands that the issuance of a PNG or similar prohibition by one property against a senior executive of another is exceedingly rare and unheard of in the Singapore duopoly, although MacDonald’s history of having worked in the upper echelons of both MBS and RWS is in itself unique.
In response to IAG’s inquiries, an MBS spokesperson said, “Restricting anyone from our premises is not a decision that we take lightly. We have robust protocols to assess the merits of such action. The factors behind a decision of this nature are confidential.”
