China currency, equity turmoil adds to Macau’s woes

Tough times for the world’s gaming capital show little sign of abating. Macau’s casino revenue fell 35.5% in August, its fifteenth straight month of year on year decreases. That follows a 34.5% gaming revenue decline in July. China’s slowing economy and President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption drive have driven Macau’s slump, but mainland stock market chaos and currency devaluation make recovery more difficult.

Totally globalized native New Yorker and former broadcast news producer Muhammad Cohen is a blogger for Forbes and author of Hong Kong On Air, a novel set in his adopted hometown during the 1997 handover about television news, love, betrayal, high finance, and cheap lingerie. See his bio, online archive and more at www.muhammadcohen.com; follow him on Facebook and Twitter @MuhammadCohen.

Macau government undermines Beijing on gaming rules: expert

Contrary to conventional wisdom, regulatory expert Gaming Compliance believes Macau authorities sometimes dilute Beijing’s gaming rules to help local economic mainstays.

Totally globalized native New Yorker and former broadcast news producer Muhammad Cohen is a blogger for Forbes and author of Hong Kong On Air, a novel set in his adopted hometown during the 1997 handover about television news, love, betrayal, high finance, and cheap lingerie. See his bio, online archive and more at www.muhammadcohen.com; follow him on Facebook and Twitter @MuhammadCohen.

Macau casinos roll toward a losing year

November produced the lowest revenue for Macau casinos since September 2012, down nearly 20% from last year. After six straight months of year-on-year falls, the world’s gaming capital is heading for its first annual decline in casino revenue since the end of its gaming monopoly in 2004, with little hope for a rebound until the middle of next year.

Totally globalized native New Yorker and former broadcast news producer Muhammad Cohen is a blogger for Forbes and author of Hong Kong On Air, a novel set in his adopted hometown during the 1997 handover about television news, love, betrayal, high finance, and cheap lingerie. See his bio, online archive and more at www.muhammadcohen.com; follow him on Facebook and Twitter @MuhammadCohen.

Macau casinos take record fall in October

With mainland China’s enduring anti-corruption drive spooking high rollers and mass market players facing a smoking ban in the same old casinos, Macau gaming revenue fell 23.2% in October from a year earlier, the largest drop on record. Third quarter casino company earnings held up, but gaming revenue appears heading its first down year since the industry was opened to competition in 2002.

Totally globalized native New Yorker and former broadcast news producer Muhammad Cohen is a blogger for Forbes and author of Hong Kong On Air, a novel set in his adopted hometown during the 1997 handover about television news, love, betrayal, high finance, and cheap lingerie. See his bio, online archive and more at www.muhammadcohen.com; follow him on Facebook and Twitter @MuhammadCohen.

Macau casino shares rally after June revenue falls

The 3.7 percent fall in Macau’s June casino revenue seems to have investors believing the world’s casino capital has hit bottom as share prices rally. That sentiment may prove wrong.

Totally globalized native New Yorker and former broadcast news producer Muhammad Cohen is a blogger for Forbes and author of Hong Kong On Air, a novel set in his adopted hometown during the 1997 handover about television news, love, betrayal, high finance, and cheap lingerie. See his bio, online archive and more at www.muhammadcohen.com; follow him on Facebook and Twitter @MuhammadCohen.