Scholar Davis Fong predicts continuing GGR growth

Davis Fong

The region’s gambling revenue has seen its fifth month of recovery, and a Macau-based scholar has predicted that growth will continue into the second quarter of 2017.

Director of the Institute for the Study of Commercial Gaming at the University of Macau David Fong anticipated that the growth of the region’s gross gaming revenue would also be affected by the VIP market.

“I think the momentum in the VIP side pushed GGR [gross gaming revenue] up in the fourth quarter of 2016,” he told the press, saying that there had been an increase of 14 percent in the region’s VIP gaming market in the fourth quarter.

“I believe the momentum will continue this year, especially in the first and second quarter of 2017,” Fong added.

The Macau scholar connected the potential growth of the region’s GGR to the upcoming Chinese New Year (CNY).

He noted that there would be the traditional CNY gamblers, mostly VIP gamblers, who try their luck during the festive season. Thus he remarked that the CNY growth rate in the VIP sector may outperform the mass market.

When questioned by the Times as to whether the gaming resorts slated to open this year would influence the region’s GGR growth, Fong hoped that the resorts would flow in the right direction.

He stated that the region is keen on attracting the premium mass market, noting that “this is the direction that we would like to fight for.”

“If they can develop their product tailor-made for the premium mass market, I strongly believe it would create new casino effects,” he answered.

Paulo Martins Chan, head of the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau told the press that the central credit database system is suffering delays.

While it is still not known when the system will be launched, Chan hinted it is undergoing a trial period.

The pending credit database system could keep track of gambling credit issued to individual players by the Macau junket sector.

Last month, the Macau Association of Gaming and Entertainment Promoters said that it had completed the establishment of the system. Speaking to GGRAsia, president of the association Kwok Chi Chung said that the group was now waiting for the credit database system to be approved by the Macau government in order to go live.