MACAO: The enclave's gaming industry's gross revenue last year was about 44.6 billion pataca (US$5.575 billion), an 11.2 per cent increase over 2004.

The figure is based on numbers provided by 17 casinos currently operating in Macao.

As the industry predicted late last year, the 2005 revenue fell short of that posted by the United States' Las Vegas Strip casinos, which made about 46.4 billion pataca (nearly US$5.68 billion) from November 2004 to October 2005.

In proportional breakdown, business tycoon Stanley Ho's JSM made for about 75 per cent of the total gross revenue, while newcomers Galaxy and Sands Macao accounted for 15 per cent and 10 per cent, respectively.

The Macao figure does not include earnings from horse and dog racing, lotteries and sports betting, while the Las Vegas number combines only revenues of casinos in the sleepless Strip.

Analysts said the gaming industry last year did not have the kind of new attraction that Macao Sands hotel and casino resort produced when it opened in mid-2004. The "Sands effect" was a major factor in that year's 45 per cent year-on-year growth.

Some local researchers suggested yesterday the gaming industry should be able to make 20 per cent more money this year than it did in 2005, because several new casinos were scheduled to open in 2006, especially the two large ones supposed to go online in the second half (Wynn Resort and Galaxy's flagship facility, though the latter has a "temporary" casino with less than 200 tables at present).

They believe Wynn Resort alone can draw players from across the region the way Sands Macao did in 2004. The American casino resort giant, known for pioneering the "integrated resort" concept in Las Vegas, can utilize its worldwide network of loyal patrons to help its latest addition in Asia to a glowing start.

(HK Edition 01/07/2006 page3)