Chinese gamblers are flocking to Russia’s rising Primorsky Integrated Entertainment Zone (PIEZ) just three months after the opening of the region’s debut casino, reports the Siberian Times, and this is threatening to impact the world’s two biggest gambling hubs, Macau and Las Vegas.
The “Tigre de Cristal” casino in the far eastern Primorsky Krai province of Russia is attracting large numbers of both Russian and foreign gamblers, the newspaper claims.
Located conveniently near the Russian borders with China and North Korea, the entertainment zone reportedly receives around 80 percent of its revenue from Chinese, Japanese and South Korean gamblers, despite the fact that 80 percent of its visitors are Russian.
The PIEZ holds the potential to divert Chinese high rollers away from Macau – especially as the region’s expected eight resorts will be considerably closer to major population centers in China, like Beijing, Tianjin and Qingdao, while being roughly equidistant from Shanghai and Nanjing.
“When completed it (the PIEZ) is expected to rival or surpass Las Vegas and even possibly Macau – the world’s two current gambling rulers,” wrote Lars Jones of World Casino News.
“It is the Siberia of Lore, but it is located within a two or three hour flight of hundreds of millions of potential Asian customers, as well as Russian denizens who are starved for legal gambling,” added Jones.
President Xi’s anti-corruption campaign has already prompted wealthy Chinese travelers to head to leisure destinations other than Macau.
Analysts note that, as fewer VIP mainlanders visit the MSAR, the casino resorts need to up their investment in mass gaming and non-gaming facilities – which, being of less interest to high rollers, does little to incite them to return to Macau.
To make matters worse, the premier casino, which has received considerable investment from Macau’s Lawrence Ho, is likely to set a precedent for others planned for the region.
But analysts equally warned that without central and local government support, the Russian government venture may not succeed.
“The success of the gambling zones, beginning with Primorye and eventually including Sochi and others, will depend a lot on the government providing the right environment, infrastructure and support,” concluded Jones.
taiwan on the brink of a casino kickoff in 2019
Taiwan will start vying with Singapore, Philippines and Macau, as the world’s noted casino operators aim to do business with Asia’s top source of gamblers, China. As early as this month, the parliament could give final approval to the Casino Management Act – an approval that would allow offshore islands under the city’s authority to accept bids for resort-casino projects as outlined in the act. InterGame has expressed that the distant archipelago of Matsu may qualify as a host soon, given that its people voted in favor of operating casinos in 2012 in the belief that it could advance employment and infrastructure.
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