Ever since the government of Macao put a hard cap on the number of table games in the enclave, casino operators have been forced to do a certain amount of cap-and-trade. In order to stock up Sands Cotai, 200 tables had to be removed from Venetian Macao. According to J.P. Morgan analyst Joseph Greff, these were supplanted by “slots, electronic tables, double-dealer games or semi-mechanical tables which have a relatively lower yield.” (I guess this settles the question of whether the Macanese government regards an electronic table as a slot or not.) “Venetian Macao’s mass market volume was negatively impacted (somewhat)” … a situation potentially alleviated by today’s announcement that city hall was granting Sands China an additional 200 tables, expected by Greff to go back into Venetian Macao and generate a half-billion dollars a year.
Due to “underutilized public space,” Sands is also expected to suffer least from the partial smoking ban that is being imposed on Macao’s casinos. (Imagine trying to find room for non-smokers in 
Stanley Ho‘s cramped, antiquated ratholes. Incidentally, Sands has announced salary increases for its Macao employees, to keep up with the Jonses … or the Hos, in this case.) Lastly, Marina Bay Sands in Singapore is projected to make an 18%-20% ROI this year, news which should alleviate Sheldon Adelson‘s chronic air of dyspepsia … at least for a few moments. James Packer and Lawrence Ho will need executive clemency similar to that which Adelson just received. They’ve borrowed an additional $1.4 billion to finance completion of rescue project Studio City (above, total cost: $2.9 billion). That’s predicated on having 500 tables. It’s yet another case of the Macanese regime being caught between encouraging growth and trying to freeze inventory.
Add the name of Las Vegas Review-Journal casino veteran Howard Stutz to the chorus of Skyvue skeptics. In a wrap-up of its recent travails, he notes that Howard Bulloch‘s stop-and-go project has the better location than Caesars Entertainment‘s Vegas High Roller but makes a strong case against its viability. Best line: “Las Vegas needs two observation wheels like it needs two CityCenters,” Touché!
The Vegas High Roller should do pretty good in Project Linq but I think Brooklyn Bowl will be the best part of Linq. From what I have read Brooklyn Bowl is a multi-dimensional venue that will be like a huge sports bar during the day and a live music venue at night that eventually (after 11 PM) turns into a nightclub. This will cater to a wide 21-to-60-year-old demographic and with the right management team could do really well.
“Pay increases for employees.” What a quaint notion. I’m sure the Vegas employees would love to hear something like that, rather than, “We have to steal your tips.”