Packer could completely withdraw from Macau, says US casino veteran

James Packer's sell-down of his Macau interest and plan to de-merge his Australian and international casino assets may be indicative of his withdrawal from the Asian gaming hub, says Howard Klein, a consultant for the US gaming industry.

“My view is that James has elected to take a step back now as something of a hedge bet. In classic Packer mode, he’s taking chips off the table until the cards turn ­favorable,” Klein said.

Earlier this month, Melco Crown said its revenue missed the mark in the 2016 second quarter at $1.07 billion, falling short of analyst estimates of $1.09 billion.

Revenues represented a 17 percent increase from $916.8 million for the second quarter of 2015.