Casino operator SJM again taps young via Macau e-Sports

Jun 15, 2018 Newsdesk Latest News, Macau, Top of the deck  

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Macau casino operator SJM Holdings Ltd scheduled another e-Sports event for Saturday and Sunday, this time at its flagship downtown property the Grand Lisboa Hotel.

At least three big e-Sports tournaments, involving competitive video games, were held in Macau last year, including an event in December by SJM Holdings that was sponsored by the Grand Lisboa Hotel, but was held outside company property.

SJM Holdings chief executive Ambrose So Shu Fai is on record saying e-Sports is “an emerging industry with huge growth potential and global viewership”.

Macau casino operators Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd and Melco Resorts and Entertainment Ltd also ran e-Sports events last year.

According to some industry commentators, casino operators are keen to attract a new generation of consumers to their premises, and see e-Sports as a possible route.

A May report by investment brokerage Sanford C. Bernstein Ltd, suggested that of Macau’s six casino operators, SJM Holdings had a “skew” toward older customers, and Melco Resorts a skew toward younger ones.

Macau academic and legislator Davis Fong Ka Chio sees e-Sports as a good addition to the non-gaming offering of Macau’s casino resorts.

The weekend’s “Grand Lisboa Hotel Macau E-Sports Carnival” advertised e-Sports match-ups between celebrities including Macau E-Sports Federation President Mario Ho, actor Shawn Yue, supermodel Ming Xi, television presenters and former e-Sports world champions Xiao Xiao and Ruo Feng, and Shuyi Zhou, the official commentator of the League of Legends.

The joint organisers of the weekend’s event were named as the Macau e-Sports Federation, Mario E-Sports Technology (Macau) Co Ltd, Shanghai Keahoarl Information Technology Co Ltd and Shenzhen Idreamsky Technology Co Ltd. The Macao Government Tourism Office was also identified as a supporter of the event.

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