Macau March casino take dashes optimism

After February numbers prompted an outbreak of optimism, Macau casino revenue fell for a 22nd consecutive month in March, and dark clouds swirled anew.

Totally globalized native New Yorker and former broadcast news producer Muhammad Cohen is a blogger for Forbes, editor at large for Inside Asian Gaming 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.

Lawrence Ho triggers Macau mass hysteria

The global gaming capital’s newest casino resort, Lawrence Ho’s Studio City aims to refocus Macau on the mass market with entertainment attractions and no VIP tables. So far, though, there’s limited evidence that Macau can attract visitors for amusements beyond gaming.

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 losing big bet on Chinese tourists

March visitor arrivals in Macau fell 13.5 percent, including a 17% decline in arrivals from mainland China. Macau increasingly relies on mainland China tourists, but the March numbers plus 11 straight months of falling casino revenue highlight the perils of that choice.

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.