Macau could see esports hotels, NIP Group chair says

NIP Group chair Mario Ho claimed e-sports is the most viewed sport among young people.

Macau.- Mario Ho, chair of the NIP Group, a digital entertainment company, said there could be a future for e-sports hotels in Macau. In an interview with CNBC International News, Ho, the son of SJM Holdings co-chair Angela Leong, noted government support for sports and culture in Macau and claimed that esports is the “most favourite and the most viewed sport for young people.”

Ho noted that a team from Macau participated in the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou. He said e-sports hotels provide privacy and equipment for guests to improve their gaming skills while staying with friends. He said a start may be for hotels to create esports rooms.

He said: “I think there absolutely could be a future for e-sports hotels in Macau as well. The birth of e-sport hotel is essentially because the young people have grown tired of the previous form of entertainment, which was going to internet cafes.”

Morgan Stanley lowers Macau 2025 GGR forecast

Analysts at Morgan Stanley have lowered estimates for Macau’s gross gaming revenue (GGR) growth in 2025 to 4.8 per cent in year-on-year terms. They expect GGR to reach MOP238.35bn (US$29.78bn), 4 per cent lower than an earlier estimate.

Macau casino EBITDA is now expected to reach US$7.99bn in 2025, lower than before due to an anticipated increase in reinvestment costs but still a 5.7 per cent improvement in year-on-year terms.

See also: Macau gaming taxes reach US$10.12bn in first 11 months of the year