MGM reveals details of Cotai casino

MGM Cotai hotel and casino will be opened by January 2018, although VIP gaming could be limited.

Macau.- MGM Cotai chief executive, Grant Bowie revealed further details about the expected casino in Macau. According to an official statement, the casino and hotel will be opened by January, 2018 “with mass gaming tables.” The report on casino development was published by local media this week.

“We certainly will be opening [MGM Cotai with] only mass tables but we are looking to develop relationships and we have already developed relationships with a number of junkets,” commented Bowie on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the Macau Oktoberfest at MGM Macau. “As we build up the property, we would expect that in time we will have [junket] operators in our property in Cotai,” said Mr Bowie. “The relationships we have [with junket operators] means we will have nearly all of the significant [VIP] operators [at MGM Cotai].”

The new opening date was set just before the Chinese New Year, therefore MGM is expecting a good start as the city during that date is typically packed and sees increases in gambling. MGM China said that the delay was due to the Typhoon Hato that hit Macau during the last week of August and destroyed multiple parts of the city. Moreover, after the storm the casino went through a fire that left one of the workers in the hospital. During those two events, the facility was forced to close its doors for a month approximately.