Melco granted 250 mass gaming tables, 100 for Galaxy

The Secretary for Economy and Finance, Lionel Leong Vai Tac, says the government has granted Melco Crown’s Studio City 250 mass gaming tables plus another 100 new gaming tables to Galaxy for their mass gaming floor.
The Secretary said that Studio City has no VIP rooms and no junket business, and that its focus on the mass market would help promote non-gaming elements, hence 250 tables have been granted; 200 can be operational on its opening date next Tuesday. Authorisation for a further 50 will be effective 1 January, 2016.
Commenting on the Galaxy Macau Phase II and Broadway of the Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd., Mr. Leong said that the government is happy to observe that the gaming operator has put a lot of resources into allowing local Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) to enter the property, therefore 100 mass gaming tables are granted, with 50 effective immediately, and another 50 on 1 January, 2016.
Mass market
Lionel Leong added that with the gaming industry entering an adjustment period, the mass market has been performing better, with the gap between the mass market and VIP sector narrowing.
The Secretary remarked that non-gaming elements and gaming elements are related, as mass gaming tables can drive the development of food & beverages and hospitality, hence the government encourages gaming operators to put more tables on mass gaming floors in order to promote the development of non-gaming elements.
Studio City International Holdings Limited issued a press release following Lionel Leong’s announcement, adding that the Macau Government has authorised Studio City’s gaming operator, Melco Crown (Macau) Limited, to operate 250 new gaming tables and 1,233 new gaming machines in the Studio City gaming areas, of which 200 gaming tables and 1,233 gaming machines may be in operation upon the opening of Studio City, scheduled for October 27.
‘Following the table allocation confirmation, Studio City intends to proactively engage the lenders under its senior credit facilities to discuss proposed amendments to the terms of its loan documentation to reflect the number of tables allocated,’ said Studio City.
Table-banging
The Secretary claimed that both gaming operators received the grant some 40 days after submitting their applications. He added that the new table grant is in accordance with the city’s ‘table cap’ policy, which seeks to limit the increase of live dealer table numbers to 3 per cent compound annual expansion until the end of 2022.
Gaming table allocation has been a major topic in Macau this week and was the subject of some heated to-and-fro between Wynn Resorts’ Steve Wynn and local officials.
Business Daily reported this week that the Secretary met with Wynn Macau executives and issued a written statement saying it was displeased by criticism of how the government allocated quotas, after Wynn Resorts Ltd. chairman and chief executive Steve Wynn expressed frustration about the “ambiguity” that the company faces in terms of table allocation prior to the opening of the US$4.1 billion Wynn Palace on Cotai.
However, Lionel Leong said that the government has been spending a “similar amount of time” processing the table applications from gaming operators and the government has enjoyed good communication with the industry. Lionel Leong added he believes that the gaming operators are familiar with the application procedures and time span needed.