• Subscribe
  • Magazines
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
Tuesday 16 September 2025
  • zh-hant 中文
  • ja 日本語
  • en English
IAG
Advertisement
  • Newsfeed
  • Mag Articles
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Tags
  • Regional
    • Africa
    • Australia
    • Cambodia
    • China
    • CNMI
    • Europe
    • Hong Kong
    • India
    • Japan
    • Laos
    • Latin America
    • Malaysia
    • Macau
    • Nepal
    • New Zealand
    • North America
    • North Korea
    • Philippines
    • Russia
    • Singapore
    • South Korea
    • Sri Lanka
    • Thailand
    • UAE
    • Vietnam
  • Events
  • Contributors
  • SUBSCRIBE FREE
  • 中文
No Result
View All Result
IAG
  • Newsfeed
  • Mag Articles
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Tags
  • Regional
    • Africa
    • Australia
    • Cambodia
    • China
    • CNMI
    • Europe
    • Hong Kong
    • India
    • Japan
    • Laos
    • Latin America
    • Malaysia
    • Macau
    • Nepal
    • New Zealand
    • North America
    • North Korea
    • Philippines
    • Russia
    • Singapore
    • South Korea
    • Sri Lanka
    • Thailand
    • UAE
    • Vietnam
  • Events
  • Contributors
  • SUBSCRIBE FREE
  • 中文
No Result
View All Result
IAG
No Result
View All Result

Macau operators insist competitive promo environment still tough but improving

Ben Blaschke by Ben Blaschke
Thu 7 Nov 2024 at 04:45
A New Macau
25
SHARES
630
VIEWS
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Macau’s gaming operators have broadly described the city’s competitive promo environment as improving, even as competition between the six concessionaires remains rife.

The issue has been a common point of discussion during recent earnings calls for the September 2024 quarter, with most operators noting that competition has stabilized while citing increased efforts to keep player reinvestment in check.

Earlier this week, Melco Resorts Chairman and CEO Lawrence Ho said he believed Macau was now past “peak promotional intensity”, adding, “For the healthy development of the entire market going forward, I hope that all the operators continue to do that because at Melco, our primary focus has always been on EBITDA. Hopefully, with the promotional environment stabilizing, we’ll continue to improve on our EBITDA margin model.”

Melco has been among the main critics of Macau’s “tough comps” this year, calling out in a previous earnings call the “crazy behavior” of some rival operators. That comment was seen by MGM Resorts CEO and President Bill Hornbuckle as a direct shot at his company’s Macau subsidiary, MGM China, which has seen its market share shoot up post-COVID on the back of the 198 additional tables it was granted when new 10-year concessions came into effect on 1 January 2023, as well as its early adoption of smart gaming tables. The Macau government was also forced to direct many concessionaires to rein in free drink and snack giveaways for fear it was negatively impacting the city’s small businesses.

Asked the same question about the current promotional environment in Macau during Wynn Resorts’ 3Q24 earnings call this week, CEO Craig Billings said it was “stable to slightly better … but it’s still very competitive.

“While the competitive environment in Macau is clearly intense, we continue to focus on maximizing EBITDA rather than purely market share,” he added.

Sands China President and CEO Grant Chum told analysts in late October that his company was carefully managing its player reinvestments at a time when it is also facing significant disruption from major upgrade works at its old Sheraton Grand hotel at The Londoner Macao.

“We’re really back to our core strategy, which is we compete on the basis of our products and the content that we bring despite the fact that, obviously in the third quarter, our disruption actually increased.

“We stick to our core strategy and we had a very strong quarter in how we managed customer reinvestments and still maintained market share relative to the second quarter despite rising disruption during the quarter.”

Melco’s President and Director Evan Winkler suggested this week that it is still too early to tell if Macau’s promo environment is on a glide path down but reiterated the feelings of others in the need to manage spending.

“From our standpoint, we certainly aren’t looking at any elevated promotional spending, we are looking at, through our new player launch, how do we best sort of retain our top players, how do we create an aspirational path for those mid-levels and how do we spend dollars effectively on bringing new people into the system?” he said, referencing the company’s recently overhauled loyalty program,

“So, I think it’s more of an allocation issue against the existing pool as we slowly bring [spend] down, but no major changes in the overall level.”

RelatedPosts

Police arrest 100 people after detecting 62 cases of illegal money exchange in joint Macau operation

Police arrest 100 people after detecting 62 cases of illegal money exchange in joint Macau operation

Mon 15 Sep 2025 at 22:58
Melco wins sustainability awards for “Above and Beyond” strategy

Melco proposes new notes offering, looking to redeem outstanding 2026 notes

Mon 15 Sep 2025 at 22:49
Macau’s concessionaires could soon turn to virtual performers to keep pace with rising competition in global entertainment scene

Macau’s concessionaires could soon turn to virtual performers to keep pace with rising competition in global entertainment scene

Sun 14 Sep 2025 at 14:24
SJM reveals eco-friendly features of new Cotai IR

Fitch expecting SJM’s EBITDA leverage to widen in 2025 on slowing growth of Grand Lisboa Palace, satellite casino uncertainty

Sat 13 Sep 2025 at 10:57
Load More
Tags: CompsconcessionairesMacauMelco ResortsMGM ChinaPlayer reinvestmentSands ChinaWynn Macau
Share10Share2
Ben Blaschke

Ben Blaschke

A former sports journalist in Sydney, Australia, Ben has been Managing Editor of Inside Asian Gaming since early 2016. He played a leading role in developing and launching IAG Breakfast Briefing in April 2017 and oversees as well as being a key contributor to all of IAG’s editorial pursuits.

Current Issue

Editorial – Flipping the script

Editorial – Flipping the script

by Ben Blaschke
Thu 28 Aug 2025 at 12:30

This month represents an important milestone for Inside Asian Gaming as we launch IAG EXPO – an expansion of the...

Asia market roundup

Asia market roundup

by Ben Blaschke
Thu 28 Aug 2025 at 12:26

Inside Asian Gaming takes a deep dive into the state of Asia-Pacific’s key gaming markets: who’s hot, who’s not and...

Rewriting the rules

Rewriting the rules

by Newsdesk
Thu 28 Aug 2025 at 11:43

IAG EXPO, taking place at Newport World Resorts from 8 to 10 September, is not your usual trade show. IAG...

Test of character

Test of character

by Newsdesk
Thu 28 Aug 2025 at 11:28

Since its establishment in 1989, Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) has developed into the world’s most trusted name when it comes...

Evolution Asia
Evolution Asia
Aristocrat
GLI
Nustar
SABA
Mindslot
Solaire
Hann
Tecnet
NWR
NWR

Related Posts

The 2023 Asian Gaming Power 50: Ones to watch

Hong Kong Stock Exchange deems Andrew Lo unsuitable to be director of LET Group or Summit Ascent due to attempted Tigre de Cristal sale

by Ben Blaschke
Tue 16 Sep 2025 at 15:14

The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Ltd has imposed a Director Unsuitability Statement and a censure against Andrew Lo – the majority shareholder, Executive Director and Chairman of LET Group Holdings and Summit Ascent Holdings – deeming him unsuitable to...

Police arrest 100 people after detecting 62 cases of illegal money exchange in joint Macau operation

Police arrest 100 people after detecting 62 cases of illegal money exchange in joint Macau operation

by Pierce Chan
Mon 15 Sep 2025 at 22:58

Police from Macau, Guangdong and Hong Kong detected 62 cases of illegal money exchange and apprehended around 100 people suspected of being part of money exchange gangs as part of a month-long joint operation codenamed “Thunderstorm 2025”. Authorities said that...

Melco wins sustainability awards for “Above and Beyond” strategy

Melco proposes new notes offering, looking to redeem outstanding 2026 notes

by Newsdesk
Mon 15 Sep 2025 at 22:49

Melco Resorts Finance Limited, the Melco Resorts & Entertainment subsidiary that operates City of Dreams Macau, Altira Macau and Mocha Clubs, is proposing to conduct an international offering of senior notes as part of its plan to redeem all outstanding...

PAGCOR executive says technology advancements aiding rise in illegal online gaming operators

PAGCOR executive says technology advancements aiding rise in illegal online gaming operators

by Newsdesk
Mon 15 Sep 2025 at 22:25

The rapid advancement of technology within the gaming industry is driving a proliferation of illegal online operators by creating an unstable environment in which legitimate businesses can struggle, according to PAGCOR Vice President for Human Resource and Development Group, Dr...

Your browser does not support the video tag.


IAG

© 2005-2025
Inside Asian Gaming.
All rights reserved.

  • SUBSCRIBE FREE
  • NEWSFEED
  • MAG ARTICLES
  • VIDEO
  • OPINION
  • TAGS
  • REGIONAL
  • EVENTS
  • CONSULTING
  • CONTRIBUTORS
  • MAGAZINES
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • ADVERTISE
  • 中文

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

No Result
View All Result
  • 中文
  • Subscribe
  • Newsfeed
  • Mag Articles
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Tags
  • Regional
  • Events
  • Contributors
  • Magazines
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • About
  • Home for G2E Asia

© 2005-2025
Inside Asian Gaming.
All rights reserved.

  • 中文
  • English