Constance Hsu: Reflecting on the last 20 years of Macau gaming

Tuesday 17th of December 2019

Constance Hsu

COO, Jin Bei Group

When did you arrive in Macau and in what capacity?

I came to Macau in 2003 for the Mocha Clubs project as Financial Controller in charge of finance, treasury, audit, legal compliance, procurement and human resources. Being the pre-opening team, I also participated in the negotiation of the T&C for new sites, determination of product mix, marketing strategy and etc.

What were your first impressions?

It was a cozy place with delicious Portuguese food, seafood, noodles and snacks, and amazing heritage buildings and sightseeing spots. Especially people here were very friendly.

What are the biggest changes you have seen in your section of the industry?

There are many more games tailor-made for this market with preferred volatility and bonus features. Players are getting more sophisticated.

What have you found most challenging, or memorable?

Mocha Clubs was the pioneer to bring the transformational evolution that introduced club-style electronic gaming entertainment to Macau, offering a coffee shop-style atmosphere for patrons. During Stanley Ho’s 40-year Macau casino monopoly (which officially ended in 2002), slot machines were housed either on the way out of the tables areas to catch players’ loose change, or in cheap and cheerful parlours with relatively antiquated machines. Today, Mocha is known for having a slick player rewards scheme and one of the best returns to player on its machines in the whole of Macau. Mocha has become the leading non-casino-based electronic gaming chain with multiple locations across peninsula Macau and Taipa.

Also, Mocha Clubs was the first to introduce electronic table games in Macau and Asia.

Share a curious/funny episode that could only have happened in Macau?

When I reached out to the several EGMs manufacturers for the first time in 2003, most of them had not heard of Macau, or were not aware of where Macau was. (Note: Before gaming liberalization, there were only approximately 800+ slot machines in Macau, which were purchased through a distributor.) It took me some time to make them feel comfortable to come for a visit and provide us with a proposal. After all, both Macau and Mocha Clubs were new to most of them at that time…

How are you expecting Macau to evolve in the next 20 years?

The Macau market will continue to perform well, especially as the critical mass of the tourism offering on the Cotai Strip continues to increase and when Henqin’s development is underway as the backyard of Macau. The Cotai Strip has in recent years developed into a world-class destination for business, leisure and family travelers, and it has become a very attractive destination as a result.

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