The year ahead - Tim Shepherd

Wednesday 4th of January 2017

In 2017 I think we will continue to see the larger players in Macau flex their muscles internationally looking for ROIC no longer available in Macau. Seeking similar growth are the larger junket groups who will continue to diversify into bricks and mortar across Asia Pacific – they are saying “why give 50 percent of the profits to the licensee/builder?” They are going to back themselves to run a casino as well as anyone by recruiting the right managerial talent (much of it streaming out of Macau because of blue card issues) and already they have the player base. They also have a growing understanding of AML issues.

Proxy betting from the comfort of a KTV or a hotel room anywhere in Asia on tables broadcasting live from Cambodia or the Philippines is now almost a commodity product and that trend will continue to play out for the VIPs who used to travel to Macau in large numbers and now don’t for fear of the spotlight being cast upon them. No numbers are ever going to be recorded but you know it’s a bigger business than the Macau groups would like to hear.

Finally, and admittedly on a personal level, in early 2017, Silver Heritage Group’s flagship Tiger Palace Resort will open on the Indian border in Nepal, and, as we’ve seen from The Millionaire’s Club & Casino in Kathmandu, the vast, high energy and wealthy Indians are simply not being catered to by groups buried in the China weeds.

Finally, and on admittedly on a personal level, in early 2017, Silver Heritage Group’s flagship, Tiger Palace Resort will open on the Indian border in Nepal, and, as we’ve seen from The Millionaire’s Club & Casino in Kathmandu, the vast, high energy and wealthy Indians are simply not being catered to by groups buried in the China weeds.

Look for that opening to astonish the industry in 2017.”

Note from Tim Shepherd, co-founder and president of business development at Silver Heritage Group.

Other notes from:

Andrew Klebanow, Global Market Advisors

Augustine Vinh, president and CEO of Stellar Management

Ben Lee, managing partner of IGamiX Management & Consulting

David Green, CEO of Newpage Consulting

Ebbe Groes, CEO of EveryMatrix

Harmen Brenninkmeijer, managing partner at Dynamic Partners

Jay Sayta, founder of Glaws.com

Michael Zhu, vice president, operations, planning, analysis of Innovation Group

Mike Santangelo

Sam Sheng, director of Double Square Consulting

Steve Gallaway, Global Market Advisors

Sudhir Kale, CEO of GamePlan Consulting