Inside Asian Gaming

INSIDE ASIAN GAMING | January 2009 14 M ocha Clubs President Constance Hsu officially unveiled the Mocha Millions stand-alone mystery jackpot slot machine at the company’s flagship Mocha Marina Plaza branch early in January. The newMocha Millions slot machines will be available to players atMochaClubs’locations inMacauandTaipa, includingMochaMarina Plaza, Mocha Hotel Taipa Square and Mocha at Crown Macau. “Mocha Millions are the first slot machines in Macau especially tailor-made to meet the evolving needs and preferences of our Mocha players. As one of the leaders in electronic gaming in Macau, we are committed to bring innovation to the industry—and to create a new level of exciting Mocha experiences to all,” said Ms Hsu during the launch. “The launch of Mocha Millions demonstrates our creativity and deep understanding of customer needs and preferences in today’s electronic gaming industry. These new and interactive machines were developed based on Mocha Clubs’ years of experience in Macau slot machines and proactive outreach to our customers—to establishwhat they look for in newand exciting gaming experiences ” added Ms Hsu. Mocha Millions offers three unique features offering players the chance to win a million Hong Kong dollars or more on a single stand- alone slot machine. Mocha Millions also offers a higher probability to players of winning free games and multiplying wins, with the hit frequency greatly increased on the feature games. Mocha Clubs maintained its share of Macau slot machine revenue in 2008, at around 13-14% of the market, according to Ms Hsu. “In 2008, we recorded a double digit growth when compared to 2007,” she revealed. “We foresee that in 2009, we will still have a sustainable growth because of our different composition and customers segmentation.” Ms Hsu pledged that in the year ahead, the company would focus on “superior customer service in the way of product offering” as well as its “unique club atmosphere where we know what our customers like and why they like it”. That club atmosphere also provides more privacy than playing slots on the main floors of the city’s sprawling new casino resorts. At the end of 2007 there were about 13,000 slot machines in Macau, and in 2008 the figure was “about the same”, said Ms Hsu. Although Venetian Macao and MGM Grand Macau were opened in the second half of 2007, greatly adding to the city’s slot machine capacity, Mocha Clubs managed to maintain its market share at 13- 14%, pointed out Ms Hsu. “That means Mocha has the ability to keep having customers return,” she claimed. “We don’t target one-time visitors but loyal customers who are looking for good service and intimate interactions with our staff.” Although Mocha Clubs is owned by Melco Crown Entertainment, whose Crown Macau casino recently implemented cost control measures including pay cuts and more non-paid leave for its employees, Ms Hsu said Mocha had no plans to follow suit right now. At the Mocha Millions launch ceremony, the company also presented a 100,000 pataca cheque to Caritas Macau to support its community projects and social service development. Mocha Millions A tailor-made solid gold pick will be awarded to the first 100 players who win the mystery jackpot on Mocha Millions. The picks, which can be stuck into slot machines’ ‘play’ buttons to stick them on auto-play, cost about HK$4,000 each Slot Pick Despite a worsening global economy, Mocha Clubs President Constance Hsu believes the company will continue to register “sustainable growth” in 2009. The company has also become the frst casino operator in Macau to tailor-make a slot machine according to its valued customers’ preferences Constance Hsu (left) presents a cheque for 100,000 patacas to Ms. Helle Sou, Director of the Asilo de São Francisco Xavier of Macau Caritas, during the Mocha Millions launch