Gaming | Sydney’s casino packed over CNY with Chinese clientele

A large number of Chinese customers have booked out the Sydney casino, The Star, over the Chinese New Year period. According to the resort’s managing director, Greg Hawkins, there is a “significant demand for its restaurants, hotel rooms and casino facilities with more than 4,000 room-nights booked over the next fortnight.”
“From a business point of view, within the tourism economy, that China market is very critical to us and there’s now a far greater understanding here in Australia of that Chinese guest experience,” Hawkins said, cited by the Sydney Morning Herald.
The Star has also added some new VIP gaming salons, The Darling and Astral Tower, as China’s high-roller gamblers continue to boom.
“We’ve got a wide range of gaming rooms for both direct and junket customers and they are all booked out over the next couple of weeks because of the high demand we are seeing at the top of that gaming space,” added Mr Hawkins.
According to him, a multi-year expansion and renovation program at The Star helped lift the quality of the venue and close the gap with its rival, James Packer’s Crown Resorts.
The news report indicated that part of The Star’s success may be attributed to the fact that many Chinese gamblers have been continuing to stay away from Macau over corruption concerns. “There are expectations Australian and New Zealand gaming operators will bulk up their share of VIP clients this year,” the report concludes.