Macau: Casinos with gaming zones for foreigners
As it became known in early April, gaming zones have opened in Macau (an administrative unit of the Celestial Empire) that can only be visited by foreign tourists. The Chinese are prohibited from entering such zones. They appeared in two clubs managed by the operator Melco Resorts. The casinos are called Studio City and City of Dreams.
The aforementioned clubs have three additional gaming areas, open exclusively to foreign guests. This information has already been confirmed by the chief representative of the operating company, Mr. Lawrence Ho. This information was announced during the opening of the water park and the new building (hotel) in Studio City. The presentation took place on April 6, 2023. During his speech, the operator's representative expressed confidence that after the appearance of additional tables, the number of customers will increase significantly, so the casino administration hopes that by May 1 there will be many more guests than now. Moreover, the previously existing visa restrictions for foreigners have now been lifted.
The operator expects Melco's revenue to grow significantly in the near future, which will offset the impact of the pandemic. As a reminder, a number of restrictions due to COVID-19 are still in effect in China. The company has suffered large losses over the past three years, so the operator hopes that they will be compensated in the very near future. The company has large debts, which have grown during the restrictions.
Statistical reports show that the company suffered losses of $810 million and $931 million in 2021 and 2022, respectively. After the restrictions in Macau were lifted, the situation began to improve. Tourists are returning to casinos and bringing in profits, but there is no talk of a final recovery in revenues yet.
In addition to the information about the opening of new gaming zones in two Macau casinos, L. Ho announced another piece of news: City of Dreams is going to re-launch the original show called “House of Dancing Water”.
