GGRAsia – Japan’s Angel to have US$130mln new factory in Macau

Japan’s Angel to have US$130mln new factory in Macau

Sep 12, 2024 Newsdesk Latest News, Macau, Top of the deck

Casino equipment supplier Angel Group is investing US$130 million in the development of a new factory in Macau (pictured in an artist’s rendering), located in the city’s Concordia Industrial Park in Coloane. The Macau factory – expected to be completed by the end of 2026 – is to be a base for the manufacturing and supply of casino playing cards, “smart” gaming tables and other casino equipment serving the city’s casino businesses.

That is according to remarks by members of the company’s senior management at a Thursday ceremony in Macau, which featured a symbolic “groundbreaking” for the factory project.

“Angel has decided to build a casino playing card manufacturing plant to add manufacturing capabilities to Macau,” said Yasushi Shigeta, chairman and chief executive officer of Angel Group Co Ltd, in a speech at the occasion.

“We are planning a state-of-the-art factory that will be our home base for integrated functions from manufacturing to sales, enabling a smooth supply chain of local production for local consumption.

“With a site area of 22,000 square metres [236,806 sq. feet] and a total floor area of 26,000 square metres, the plant is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. It will also serve as our base for smart tables and other equipment,” Mr Shigeta added.

The group is investing US$130 million in developing the Macau factory, a price tag that includes land costs, according to Keijiro Kan, chief executive of Angel Manufacturing Macau Ltd, in comments to GGRAsia on the sidelines of the Thursday event. Mr Kan is also the president of Angel Global Business Co Ltd.

The group, celebrating its 75th anniversary, was initially known for its playing cards, eventually adding casino playing cards to its catalogue, as well as card shoes for casino operations. It has casino equipment factories in its home base Japan for export purposes, and in Singapore.

Asuka Kurahashi, Angel Macau Ltd’s president and chief operating officer, said in comments to the press on the sidelines of the Thursday event: “Macau is always the biggest market for playing cards, for us. We also want to commit to Macau’s economic growth, and to support our clients in Macau.”

Angel Group began marketing to casinos in the late 1990s. The group established its Macau company in 2006, initially dedicated to support and maintenance of its products supplied to casino clients. It gradually expanded to add sales services, Mr Shigeta outlined in his remarks.

Ms Kurahashi said on the sidelines of the gathering, that having a Macau factory could contribute to a “more stable” supply of casino products to the group’s clients in the city. Its Singapore factory supplies casino-related products for the Asia-Pacific region, she noted.

The Macau project involves demolition of an existing building in the Concordia Industrial Park, and creation of a new factory “from scratch”, Ms Kurahashi noted to GGRAsia.

With the development of the Macau factory, one goal is to help foster the local labour force’s training in casino products and technology, Ms Kurahashi said. In the Macau market, Angel currently has more than 50 employees, and more than 90 percent are local residents, she noted.