Sands Macao Opens Pearl Room, Increases Overall Gaming Capacity

 

Macau - Las Vegas Sands Corp. announced today that the Sands Macao, the first western-operated casino in Asia, has opened the luxurious Pearl Room, a new themed gaming room bedecked with sparkling pearl chandeliers situated adjacent to the main lobby of the Sands Macao.

The new Pearl Room features 17,000 sq. feet of space hosting 40 gaming tables, including baccarat, fan tan, Caribbean stud poker, three card baccarat, blackjack, big and small, and roulette, in addition to 180 slot machines specially designed for the Asian market.

"The Sands Macao continues to up the ante when it comes to elegance and sophistication in Macao," said Mr. Frank McFadden, Sands Macao chief operating officer. "The opening of the Pearl Room gives visitors and locals alike yet one more reason to visit the Sands Macao and experience the height of luxury."

In line with Sands' philosophy of fostering local talent, all the dealers in the Pearl Room are local Macao residents who have undergone Sands' rigorous training course.

The 40 additional tables in the Pearl Room represent a 12.5% increase taking the total number of tables to 360. The total number of slots will now be 848, or a 28% increase

Eyeing rivals, Foxwoods set to expand

As Reported by The Boston Globe

MASHANTUCKET, Connecticut - Foxwoods, the world's largest casino complex, which draws some 14 million visitors a year, is planning a $700 million expansion to meet a hard-charging challenge from its nearby competitor, Mohegan Sun, and gambling industry analysts also see the move as a preemptive strike against potential future competition from Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

The project, approved by Mashantucket Pequot tribe members in a referendum Monday, will add 2 million square feet to the complex. The expansion, expected to be completed by 2008, will include a 825-room hotel, a new casino, a 5,000-seat concert theater, six nightclubs and restaurants, and a 21,000-square-foot luxury spa. William Sherlock, Foxwoods president and chief executive officer, also said that with the expansion, the casino will increase marketing to blacks, Hispanics, and Asians. For example, bookings and menus in the restaurants will be designed to attract different ethnic groups, he said.

"If you look at the demographics of New England's growth pattern, that's where you see the highest percentage of growth," he said.

The expansion is occurring on the heels of a $300 million project that included a casino, a Hard Rock Cafe, and a shop this fall, and two lakeside golf courses that are scheduled to open this spring. The move, casino executives and industry analysts said, is aimed at accelerating Foxwoods' transition from a regional gambling mecca to an international convention and destination resort.

"It's definitely another step in that direction," Sherlock said yesterday. "We are not minimizing the gaming, but we believe that the other amenities around it are a key to penetrating the market."

Analysts said the Foxwoods expansion is in part a response to the rapid growth of Mohegan Sun, which has a 10,000-seat arena and more upscale restaurants and themed areas, and which has done a better job adding other sources of revenue to complement its gaming income.