Market and Competition
The gaming industry in Macau and elsewhere in Asia is highly competitive. Our competitors include many of the largest gaming, hospitality, leisure and resort companies in the world. Some of these current and future competitors are larger than us and may have more diversified resources, better brand recognition and greater access to capital to support their developments and operations in Macau and elsewhere. In particular, in recent years, competitors have opened new properties, expanded operations and/or announced their intention for further expansion and developments in Cotai, where Studio City is located.
Macau Gaming Market
Gaming in Macau is administered through concessions awarded by the Macau government to six different concessionaires: Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, S.A., (“SJM”), MGM Grand Paradise, S.A. (“MGM Grand Paradise”), Galaxy Casino, S.A. (“Galaxy”), Venetian Macau, S.A. (“VML”), Wynn Resorts (Macau) S.A. (“Wynn Macau”) and the Gaming Operator.
SJM is a subsidiary of SJM Holdings Ltd., a company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in which family members of Mr. Lawrence Ho, the chairman of SCI and the chairman and chief executive officer of Melco, have shareholding interests. SJM currently operates multiple casinos throughout Macau. SJM (through its predecessor Tourism and Entertainment Company of Macau Limited) commenced its gaming operations in Macau in 1962 and opened Grand Lisboa Palace in Cotai in July 2021 and opened two additional hotels in 2023.
MGM Grand Paradise or MGM Grand is a subsidiary of MGM China Holdings Limited, a company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. MGM Grand was originally formed as a joint venture by MGM-Mirage and Ms. Pansy Ho, sister of Mr. Lawrence Ho. MGM Grand opened MGM Macau on the Macau Peninsula in December 2007 and MGM Cotai in February 2018.
Galaxy currently operates multiple casinos in Macau, including StarWorld, a hotel and casino resort in Macau’s central business and tourism district. The Galaxy Macau Resort opened in Cotai in May 2011 and the opening of Phase 2 of the Galaxy Macau Resort took place in May 2015. Galaxy progressively opened phase 3 of the Galaxy Macau Resort from the second quarter of 2023, while Phase 4 is currently under development and is expected to open in 2027.
VML is a subsidiary of Las Vegas Sands Corporation and Sands China Limited, which are listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, respectively. Las Vegas Sands Corporation is the developer of Sands Macao, The Venetian Macau, Sands Cotai Central and Parisian Macao. VML operates Sands Macao on the Macau peninsula, together with The Venetian Macau and the Plaza Casino at The Four Seasons Hotel Macao, which are located in Cotai. VML also operated Sands Cotai Central in Cotai, which has been rebranded and redeveloped into The Londoner Macau, which opened in February 2021. Sands China Ltd. opened the Parisian Macao in Cotai in September 2016.
Wynn Macau, is a subsidiary of Wynn Macau, Limited, which is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, and of Wynn Resorts Limited, which is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market. Wynn Macau opened Wynn Macau in September 2006 on the Macau Peninsula and an extension called Encore in 2010. In August 2016, Wynn Resorts Macau opened Wynn Palace, in Cotai.
The Gaming Operator, in addition to Studio City Casino, also operates Mocha Clubs, Altira Macau (located in Taipa Island), which opened in May 2007, and City of Dreams located in Cotai, which opened in June 2009, and includes the Morpheus Hotel, which opened in June 2018.
In addition to facing competition from existing operations of these concessionaires, we will face increased competition when any of them constructs new, or renovates pre-existing, hotels and casinos in Macau, or enters into leasing, services or other arrangements with hotel owners, developers or other parties for the operation of casinos and gaming activities in new or renovated properties.
Under the amended gaming law, the Macau government has set a cap on gaming tables and gaming machines that may be operated in Macau at 6,000 gaming tables and 12,000 gaming machines. In addition, gaming tables and gaming machines previously allocated to a concessionaire may also be revoked if the minimum average annual gross gaming revenue of MOP7 million (equivalent to approximately US$869,988) for gaming tables and MOP300,000 (equivalent to approximately US$37,285) for gaming machines are not met for two consecutive years or the tables or gaming machines are not fully utilized without reason within a certain period.
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