Your Daily Asia Gaming eBrief: Macau stocks gain on reopening chatter with HK

Thursday 1st of July 2021

Good morning.
Macau’s casino stocks saw an uptick on Wednesday after word broke out of a limited border reopening between Hong Kong and Macau as early as mid-July. Analysts at J.P. Morgan said the reopening is likely to only apply to fully vaccinated travellers and may include Mainland Chinese entering through Hong Kong.
In Incheon, Korea, the owner of the Midan City Resort Complex, formerly known as Caesars Korea says it is still looking for a casino partner and doesn’t expect to complete construction of the resort until 2025 at the earliest.
In this week’s AGB Nippon, we look at how Game of Thrones-style side switching witnessed by the Yokohama mayoral candidates will play out. Though all signs point to the unlikelihood of a Yokohama IR bid going forward.

First, the news

Macau operator stocks gain as Hong Kong/Macau reopening talk resumes
Former Caesars Korea IR will open in 2025 at the earliest
Yokohama mayoral race getting crowded and unpredictable
Melco’s Lawrence Ho to launch $150mln SPAC on NYSE
Genting applies for Malaysia digital banking license
Resorts World Las Vegas buys luxury aircraft from Genting HK
MGM Resorts joint venture plans two more China hotels: report
Suncity says it has completed sale of Access Achievement for $121.7mln
Five hotels ranked Gold in Macau Green Hotel Awards
SJM majority stakeholder sees $107m loss for 202 0
Kingston confirms 89% profit decline due to pandemic impact
James Packer pursued for more than $300,000 in compensation
Real estate firm CBRE Group acquires Union Gaming

What you need to know

Macau operator stocks gain as HK/Macau reopening talk resumes

Shares in Macau's operators were mostly higher on Wednesday on renewed hopes for a resumption of travel between the gaming hub and Hong Kong. There may be a limited reopening as early as mid-July, according to reports. Analysts at J.P. Morgan said the reopening is likely to only apply to fully vaccinated travellers and may include Mainland Chinese entering through Hong Kong. The analysts note that more than 40 percent of the Chinese population has been fully vaccinated, while only 21 percent of Hong Kong residents are in the same situation.

Former Caesars Korea IR to open in 2025 at the earliest

There is still no clear path forward for the South Korean IR development, formerly known as the Caesars Korea Resort Complex, to resume construction, with the new owners not expecting an opening any earlier than 2025. Caesars Korea, now known as Midan City Resort Complex, was originally a joint venture project formed through the partnership of Caesars Entertainment Corporation and a leading Asian real estate developer and owner of luxury hotels and resorts.

SJM majority stakeholder sees $107m loss for 2020

Sociedade de Turismo e Diversões de Macau (STDM), the majority shareholder in SJM Holdings, says that it has recorded a net loss of some $107.4 million for 2020. STDM's director, Pansy Ho, daughter of the late gaming Stanley Ho and co-Chairperson of MGM China, says the loss was due to management and maintenance of facilities stipulated in its concession contracts.

Insights

AGB NIPPON

Yokohama mayoral race becoming crowded and unpredictable

Anyone who thought that the Yokohama mayoral race would be between the pro-IR incumbent and a major anti-IR opposition challenger has watched that scenario go out the window over the past couple weeks. Six candidates are now in the race, and incumbent Mayor Fumiko Hayashi is still weighing her decision about becoming the seventh. The most unexpected development, of course, was the decision by Hachiro Okonogi to leave his post in the Suga Cabinet and to run on an anti-IR platform. As the expected ruling party candidate, and having ditched the IR initiative, Okonogi should probably be considered the favorite to win at this juncture, but there are also reasons to wonder if his candidacy might not implode.