Wynn: Inspired by rival’s new Macau resort
MACAU — Casino developer Steve Wynn said Tuesday that a rival’s new resort in Macau has made him rethink some of the designs for a new casino his company is planning to build.
Wynn said Tuesday that he visited the Galaxy Macau at its grand opening Sunday.
"I saw a couple things at Galaxy the other day that made me take another look at some stuff I had drawn myself," Wynn told reporters. He did not give details about the designs.
The Galaxy resort has features aimed at drawing nongamblers from around Asia such as a wave pool, an artificial beach and hotels run by Singapore’s Banyan Tree and Japan’s Okura.
Macau’s government is trying to diversify its economy away from high-rolling visitors from mainland China that have helped it become the world’s most lucrative gambling market.
Wynn Macau operates one hotel and casino in Macau and is waiting for government approval to build another.
Wynn has said previously that he expects it to open by 2015 and cost $2.5 billion. The casino, to be built on reclaimed swampland in the Cotai area, will include 1,500 to 1,600 hotel rooms, roughly 500 table games and 1,300 slot machines, with 12 acres left over for further expansion.
Wynn spoke in between annual general meetings of Wynn Macau Ltd. and its U.S.-based parent company Wynn Resorts Ltd. It’s the first time that the meeting of the U.S. parent was held in Macau, illustrating how important Macau has become to Wynn’s profits.
The former Portuguese colony’s economy has surged since it broke up its casino monopoly in 2002. Macau is the only place in China where casino gambling is legal.
"Frankly, these days we think of ourselves very deeply as a Chinese company in many respects and our revenues and the rest of our financial posture clearly indicate that to be so," said Wynn. Macau accounted for about two-thirds of Wynn Resorts’ $1.24 billion profit in the January-March period.