Gaming Expert says: Gov’t should develop clearer vision for Cotai

2013-4-17

From：Macau Daily Times

Invited as the speaker at the press conference of 2013 Global Gaming Expo, Ben Lee, the region’s expert in the Asian gaming market, suggests that the government should take a more active role in guiding development on Cotai.
Mr Lee, who is the Managing Partner at IGamiX Management and Consulting Ltd., pointed out that visitors may want to see further diversification of offerings in Macau, such as dining and shopping, and not just gambling. He added that the quality of service is also important in order to maintain and develop a stable source of visitors. To reach the above conditions, investment in training and education is critical not only for business operators but also for the government. Further, according to Lee, the government needs to take a leading role in the city’s development in the field of gaming. “Operators are motivated by profits, you can’t blame them. The government needs to take a lead, like Singapore”. He said in Singapore, gambling business is needed although it does not dominate the properties. He illustrated the idea with the tourist resort Sentosa. “They have two concepts, one is the family resort and the other is a business resort with meetings, conventions and so forth.” As to encouraging the prosperity of the Cotai project, the expert advised “clear guidance”: “They [government] should have a clear aim about what they want to see in Macau. Theme parks, Water parks or a Studio city similar to what Singapore has, as an example”
Mentioning that neighboring countries like Taiwan, the Philippines and Singapore are feverishly setting up their own gaming industries and exploring investment opportunities, Mr Lee said Macau is not greatly impacted since Macau gains great support from the mainland and is close to Guangdong province.
“Almost everything in Macau is geared to ‘Canton-style’. Cantonese cuisine, the language people speak is Cantonese, celebrities who come here for entertainment or shows are from HK. If you are from other places out of Guangdong province, it may be difficult to have fun here,” according to Ben Lee.
However, the expert warned in the end that the crisis is hidden for Macau: “The city needs to think about when tourists will get tired of Macau. They may not come anymore after one or two visits. It’s natural. Furthermore, Guangdong works as an export port of China, which drives the economy. But you can see Guangdong-based industries are moving out to other provinces or out of China.  When factories move out, corporate bosses follow them. Will our [Macau’s] business move away from Guangdong? For the long term, these trends and issues are what we have to think about.”
Lee is a regularly invited speaker at major gaming conferences around the world. He has gaming experience throughout Asia and Australia and is currently consulting to numerous multinational companies on their Asian gaming development strategies.

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