MACAU, June 22, 2010 The world’s mahjong tournament, the “World Series of Mahjong” (“WSOM”), will return to Macao this summer for the third time! The long-awaited tournament will be held from August 19-22, 2010 at the prestigious The Venetian® Macao-Resort-Hotel. Registration begins today at The Venetian Macao, the official registration venue for WSOM. Mahjong players do get ready to step on the glamorous path to stardom in the mahjong world, and enjoy the thrilling experience!

The third World Series will include two separate tournaments, namely, the 3-day single-elimination Main Event World Championship and the US$1,000 buy-in Riichi Rules Tournament. The buy-in fee for the Main Event is HK$5,000 (US$650), plus HK$500 registration fee. The second World Series paid out the highest US$1 million prize money in the mahjong history, while the prize pool for this year will be based on the number of participants in each exciting tournament. The top 32 places in the Main Event will be awarded prize money according to the rankings.

The Main Event Champion will receive the top cash prize, a World Champion necklace, an unique Venetian Mask sponsored by The Venetian Macao, and a free invitation to the fourth WSOM Main Event in 2011. All tournaments are open to any mahjong player who is at least 21 years of age and ready for the money and fame. The WSOM will employ a simplified World Series of Mahjong Rules® for the 13-tile game, and a scoring system that is fair to all different players in the world. For more details, please visit the official website at www.wsom168.com.

Interested players can register for the tournament through The Venetian Macao. Special travel packages will be offered to all participants. For registration enquires, please contact CotaiTicketing™ in Macau (853) 2882-8818, Hong Kong (852) 6333-6660, or visit the CotaiTicketing website at www.cotaiticketing.com.

“We wish to sincerely thank The Venetian Macao for their enthusiastic support of the third-annual WSOM. This enables us to bring together the top mahjong players in the world, and provide them with a brand new tournament experience at a world-class venue,” said Mr. John Hardyment, CEO of World Mahjong Limited, founders of the WSOM.

“The Venetian Macao is proud to host the third annual World Series of Mahjong tournament from August 19 to 22. It is just one more example of our effort to bring the best in sport and entertainment to Macau. With this tournament, we look forward to welcoming the world’s most skilled mahjong players to The Venetian Macao,” said Mr. Mark Russell, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, The Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel.

Schedule:

19th Aug (Thurs): Players check in & practice day

19th Aug (Thurs): Riichi Rules Tournament

20th Aug (Fri): Main Event World Championship – Day 1

21st Aug (Sat): Main Event – Day 2

22nd Aug (Sun): Main Event – Day 3. Final Round

22nd Aug (Sun): Awards Ceremony & Check presentation

Looking back at the numbers for May, there is one that really stands out on the peninsula. And no, it’s not Wynn’s staggering jump from HK$45 billion to HK$60 billion in rolling-chip turnover; we have already covered that in previous e-newsletters. It’s the 30 per cent jump in mass gaming floor revenue at MGM Macau.

We understand there are changes underway at the property at the end of the street that don’t involve rearranging Macau’s traffic grid. With a proposed IPO in the planning, it wouldn’t need a rocket scientist to predict that management there are interested in jacking up their numbers. But what we have heard about so far involves mostly plans for ramping VIP play. We are not aware that anything drastic has been changed on the main gaming floor. Why, therefore, the sudden jump in mass revenue?

One reason may just be blind luck. Visitor arrivals are jumping again from the mainland (up 43 per cent year-on-year in May under the IVS) and it may just have been that a disproportionate number decided to walk the extra few meters to reach MGM, and they lost more there than they usually do. Another more plausible reason is that Encore didn’t just draw new business to Wynn, but also to MGM, whose casino main entrance sits directly across the road. Wynn saw its mass revenues jump nearly 18 per cent in May, and MGM was coming off a lower comparative number, so its surge could largely have been a case of piggy-backing. But another, more interesting reason to consider is that MGM has crossed a threshold of sorts on its mass floor, where critical mass begets critical mass. It’s the old analogy of the restaurant that’s full: passers-by assume it must serve great food, and so they queue up outside, attracting more interest, and so on. We have noticed what appear to be good attendance figures on the MGM floor this month; so perhaps word is getting out that the place has a better vibe.

We can only assume that the gents across the water at City of Dreams must have looked enviously at those numbers going through MGM. Although everyone gained from the rising tide of mass-market arrivals in May, as you can see from the attached charts, there is a closer correlation between MGM and Wynn than there is between Cotai No. 2 and Cotai No. 1. Not that Sands China has too much to crow about, though: its big box on the peninsula has not exactly been keeping up with the Joneses.

We only wish that we had numbers for the Grand Lisboa to put in here alongside Wynn, MGM and Sands. We suspect it would be ahead of all three. Which, in the bigger picture, augurs well for those properties near the intersection of Avenida da Amizade and Avenida da Lisboa, suggesting they are building critical mass among people who walk all three properties, perhaps at the expense of the neighborhood around the ferry terminal. This is a trend worth watching more closely over the coming weeks and months as tourism arrivals continue to grow strongly. Don’t be distracted by the headline VIP numbers: mass is where the margins lie.

Used with permission & copyright to IntelMacau

Visitor arrival numbers for May show visa restrictions are clearly a thing of the past, as mainland arrivals jumped 43%, driven almost entirely by those coming in on the Individual Visit Scheme (IVS). The composition of the 2.09 million visitors in May was largely unchanged in percentage terms: 52% are still day-trippers, and about the same percentage are from the mainland. Growth in mode of transport was evenly spread between ferries and land (16% year-on-year up for each). Noteworthy was growth in air arrivals (up 9.6%), while Indians continue to show their passion for Macau, as numbers more than doubled over last May at 25,000, roughly the same as Koreans.

Analysis: The trend we spotted back in January is continuing, as more mainland visitors realize they no longer need to circumvent IVS curbs by going through travel agencies and getting tour-group visas. Overall, the mass market is where the future lies, but more so for some than others: we note a correlation with good revenues on the mass gaming floor in May for MGM (up a whopping 30% over April), Wynn (up 18%) City of Dreams (up 9.6%) and Venetian (up 8% on a big base). Meanwhile, growth in Indian visitation is continuing to please the folks at Venetian, but not necessarily all of them. Casino management would probably prefer to have Chinese in the hotel rooms, as they gamble a lot more, but mall management is pleased as the shops seem to be doing very well. This source market still has a lot of room to grow, even with the opening of Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.

Used with permission & copyright to IntelMacau Photos source: Macao Govt Statistic & Census Service

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We have been treated to a fabulous time at Encore, Wynn’s new all-suite hotel, these past two days, and so must admit to feeling a little biased towards the place right now. Yet we understand that we are not alone: channel checks suggest that Wynn Macau is on track to have a blowout month and will likely gain market share once the May numbers are released.

It is easy to see why. Wynn has raised the bar again with this property, and it’s a knockout beauty, easily the top of the market for decor, amenities and service. The Golden Flower is a clear choice as Macau’s top Chinese restaurant – as evidenced by the fact that Paul Tse was dining there on Wednesday night and the place was full of people paying easily around MOP2,000 per head. The spa leaves all others inhabiting lower levels of the atmosphere. The suites are luxurious yet not stuffy, and clearly aimed towards the tastes of elite Asian visitors.

More importantly, however, Steve Wynn has chosen to focus Encore’s charms on his own direct-VIP players. The premium mass area is small enough to be cozy for people who like playing just HK$50,000 a hand in cash chips. On Wednesday night it was full of such players. The Wynn Club is the only other gaming facility on the ground floor area of the Encore corner of the property. (There are two VIP salons near the Golden Flower restaurant, but they have been open since last December.) While some junkets are asking to bring players upstairs to the mansions and the top-floor “Sky Casino”, we understand that the management team is (bravely) favoring players who would prefer to play with the house. And there is a 250-strong team of people on hand, most of whom wear skirts, to cater to them.

As we have pointed out before, this business is where the future lies for Macau’s concessionaires as China’s wealthy class are increasingly able to move more of their assets offshore. Margins after rebates are nearly double what they are through the junkets, and win-hold percentages are usually higher as the casino management often makes tougher credit decisions and finds other ways to ensure the loyalty of their customers than the junkets do. Where Wynn Macau beats all other by a mile is its International Marketing team’s ability to source direct-VIP players, particularly in China. This is not a concessionaire that simply hopes whales will turn up on its property; Linda Chan’s platoons go out and aggressively find them.

And that’s just on the table games. We note with appreciation the presence of VIP slot machines in the Sky Casino. It says something about Wynn’s strength in this segment that they have their own rooms that include a dining area and three specially designed chairs for slot whales.

Concerns about concessionaires getting into riskier credit decision-making scenarios are not unfounded in the direct-VIP business, to be sure. But when the market is this hot, this is the segment of it where they want to be. And Encore is the best of the best on offer to these players right now.

Article used with permission and copyright to Intel Macau.com . Photo used with permission and copyright to Wynn Macau

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CASINO GRAND LISBOA, MACAU, May 23, 2010 :: PokerStars qualifier

Victorino Torres just gave a whole new meaning to the phrase, “V for Victory.” The 33-year-old attorney from the Northern Mariana Islands won the 4th annual PokerStars.net APPT Macau Main Event, turning a victory in a $22 rebuy satellite on PokerStars into more than **$3.2 million HKD** (approx. $416,000 USD).

Torres entered the final table as its second-shortest chip stack and quietly worked his way up the leaderboard as other players hit the rail. Torres stole the chip lead from runner-up Chong Wing Cheong once play became four-handed and from there, he never looked back.

“My whole experience here in Macau has been exceptional to say the least,” Torres said. “PokerStars ran this tournament beyond belief. To every player, if you have the opportunity, come out here and play.”

A trial lawyer by trade, a jubilant Torres said he expects to spend a little more time enjoying one of his other hobbies – farming – upon returning home: “I think I’ll spend a little more time on the farm now that I won. I love farming. I find it soothing, it’s relaxing, and it’s beneficial. I love it.”

Cheong’s runner-up finish is notable, as it makes him the **highest-placing Chinese player in the event’s four-year history**. Cheong earned HKD $2,088,000 (approx. $267,600 USD) in prize money for his efforts.

Photo used with permission of PokerStars.net

Click here to view tournament photos.

Steve Wynn unveils Encore, his new, all-suites boutique hotel this afternoon at 5pm. Adjacent to sister resort Wynn Macau, Encore is a unique destination with its own repertoire of suites, dining and shopping.

“Our goal with Encore was to broaden the appeal of Macau as a tourist destination and open the most beautiful hotel in the world. I am grateful to the People’s Republic of China and the Government of Macau who gave us this opportunity. As a result, the loveliest hotel in the world is not in London , Paris , Tokyo , New York or San Francisco . It is here in Macau . Encore at Wynn will bring the highest level of service and accommodations to the hospitality industry and will be enjoyed by our employees and guests forever,” said Steve Wynn, Chairman of the Board & Chief Executive Officer – Wynn Resorts, Limited.

Accommodations at Encore include 414 suites and villas that offer tasteful elegance in a comfortable, residential setting. Encore introduces two new restaurants to the Wynn dining family, and Bar Cristal’s jewel-box décor turns a classic lobby bar into a work of art. The serene Spa at Encore offers treatments in eight private therapy suites, each with its own steam room, sauna and aroma-hydrotherapy bath and shower. The Shopping Esplanade is home to three signature stores—Cartier, Chanel and Piaget—showcasing the finest selections, including limited-edition pieces unique to Encore.

Encore suite reservations may be made by calling (853) 8986 9966.

As the nation mourns the victims of the earthquake in Yushu county, Qinghai province, China , Wynn Macau expresses its deepest condolences. As such, the celebratory activities for the opening of Encore at Wynn Macau have been cancelled. The fireworks display planned for this evening at 8:08pm has been postponed to Thursday, April 22 at 8:08 p.m.

Photos used with permission & copyright Wynn Macau

MACAU, CHINA, APRIL 18 2010 – PokerStars Macau at Casino Grand Lisboa began their new Macau Poker Cup (MPC) spinoff of monthly tournaments with the MPC April Special from April 16-18. The weekend featured the HKD $4,000 No Limit Holdem event with a HKD $250,000 Guarantee which produced a field of 115 players and prize pool of HKD $414,000.

Max Wu from Hong Kong claimed the MPC April Special trophy along with HKD $107,500 in prize money. It was a surprise result from a player coming into only his second live poker tournament. Even more amazing is the fact that Max would have missed the tournament altogether had his friend, PokerStars sponsored Percy Yung, not registered him into the $4,000 NLH 2 minutes before registration closed.

The $4,000 NLH event counted towards the Asia Player of the Year (APOY) Leaderboard and that brought the likes of Team PokerStars PRO Asia Celina Lin and Bryan Huang, PokerStars sponsored and MPCC Winner Devan Tang from Hong Kong. Max was aggressive the entire night as the All-in button frequently sat in front of his chip stack.

With the victory, Max now moves into 12th on the APOY Leaderboard. Team PokerStars PRO Asia Raymond Wu from Taipei retains his number one rank and Celina Lin’s fourth place finish moved her to 24th where she sits just ahead of Bryan Huang who ranked 25th.

PokerStars Macau now gets ready for the most anticipated tournament of the year as the APPT Macau begins preliminary events May 3 with the Main Event taking place from May 18-23. Players can qualify online at PokerStars.net or live in the PokerStars Macau poker room.

APPT Macau, May 18-23, 2010
Main Event Entry Fee: HKD $40,000
Qualify for FREE online at PokerStars.net

Macau Poker Cup, July 7-11, 2010
Red Dragon (Main Event) Entry Fee: HKD $10,000
Guaranteed Prize Pool: HKD $2 Million

Qualify for FREE online at PokerStars.net

Photos used with permission of PokerStars Macau

You can start your invasion as the Maps are ready! They are both zoomable image files of feature Macau peninsula and the Cotai region. Cheers!

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