• About Us
  • The Team
  • Advertise with Us

The latest news on the gaming industry in Asia

() () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () ()
  • Home
  • Macau
  • Philippines
  • Singapore
  • Japan
  • Rest of Asia
  • World
  • Features
  • Industry Talk
  • Trends & Tech
  • follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • RSS Feed
    • LinkedIn

Table reclassification clouds Macau numbers: Nomura

Nov 26, 2014 Newsdesk Latest News, Macau, Top of the deck  


Table reclassification clouds Macau numbers: Nomura

Finance house Nomura is warning that the volumes of VIP revenue and mass revenue reported by the Macau casino industry in November and December are “likely to be distorted by table reclassification”.

Some casino operators have reportedly reclassified some mass tables to VIP following the smoking ban on casino mass floors.

Although neither Macau’s gaming regulator – the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau – nor the city’s casino operators provide detailed breakdowns of monthly returns, several gaming analysts have access to monthly (and even weekly) unofficial industry results by gaming segment.

Since October 6, smoking on casino main floors is only allowed in enclosed airport-style smoking rooms that do not contain any gaming tables or slot machines.

In the run-up to the new smoking regime, guidance from government officials was that casino operators would be able to set up smoking areas with gaming tables and slot machines on non-main floor zones “that are of limited access to specific games and gamblers”.

This was understood by casino managements to cover not only VIP rooms but also premium mass gambling areas when they were isolated from the rest of the mass-market floor.

However less than one week before the rule changes were implemented, a press statement from the Health Bureau said smoking would not be allowed in premium mass gaming areas – regardless of whether they were isolated from the main floor. It was at this point that some casino operators – seeking to bolster their businesses at a time when gross gaming revenue fell in the mass segment as well as the VIP – were said to have explored the idea of reclassifying some areas and some tables.

“[The table reclassification] will likely cause confusion among investors, and it may not be until companies report fourth-quarter results that investors get an accurate read on the real trend in mass and mass margins,” a trio of U.S.-based Nomura analysts led by Harry Curtis wrote in a note issued on Tuesday.

Casino operator Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd has recently reclassified some of its premium mass tables, Credit Suisse AG said in a note earlier this week. The gaming operator and Macau’s Health Bureau are embroiled in a dispute over a smoking area at City of Dreams (pictured), the company’s flagship casino resort in Cotai.

A note from Daiwa Capital Markets issued on Monday quoted the management of SJM Holdings Ltd as saying it had designated 16 to 18 mass tables to VIP in Casino Lisboa to counter the smoking ban’s impact.


  • tweet
Related articles
  • Macau 1Q gaming suspect transaction reports up 2pct
    Macau 1Q gaming suspect transaction...

    Apr 21, 2021  

  • Macau gaming demand recovering comfortably: analysts
    Macau gaming demand recovering...

    Apr 20, 2021  

More news
  • Macau govt, analysts tip May Day bounty at casino resorts
    Macau govt, analysts tip May Day bounty...

    Apr 20, 2021  

  • Paradise Ent says deployment of own slots hit by pandemic
    Paradise Ent says deployment of own...

    Apr 20, 2021  


Latest News

Macau 1Q gaming suspect transaction reports up 2pct

Macau 1Q gaming suspect transaction reports up 2pct

Apr 21, 2021  

Macau’s Financial Intelligence Office says the tally of suspicious transaction reports filed in the first three months of 2021 by the city’s gaming industry – including the casino firms...
Read More
Macau govt, analysts tip May Day bounty at casino resorts

Macau govt, analysts tip May Day bounty at casino resorts

Apr 20, 2021  

Paradise Ent says deployment of own slots hit by pandemic

Paradise Ent says deployment of own slots hit by pandemic

Apr 20, 2021  

Belle Corp 2020 gaming revenue from CoD Manila dips 79pct

Belle Corp 2020 gaming revenue from CoD Manila dips 79pct

Apr 20, 2021  

Sign up to our FREE Newsletter

UB8V5.qr.16(Click here for more)

Pick of the Day

”We are filled with gratitude and excitement as we approach our opening this June and hope to play a role in Las Vegas’s rebound after what has been an incredibly challenging year”

Scott Sibella

President of Resorts World Las Vegas



Most Popular

  • Talks on NagaWorld lay-offs amid pandemic: sourceTalks on NagaWorld lay-offs amid pandemic: source April 19, 2021
  • Macau gaming demand recovering comfortably: analystsMacau gaming demand recovering comfortably: analysts April 20, 2021
  • NUSTAR complex in Cebu slated to open 2022: UHRINUSTAR complex in Cebu slated to open 2022: UHRI April 16, 2021
  • Macau VIP GGR up 20pct sequentially in 1Q: govtMacau VIP GGR up 20pct sequentially in 1Q: govt April 16, 2021
  • Oaktree offers US$$2.3bln for Crown to buy out PackerOaktree offers US$$2.3bln for Crown to buy out Packer April 19, 2021
Copyright 2014-2021 TEAM Publishing and Consultancy Ltd / All rights reserved
  • Code of Ethics
  • Privacy Policy
  • Useful Links
  • Contact Us