MGM Grand Casino Macau

Pansy Ho, 50% owner of MGM Grand Macau

MGM Opens Grand Casino in Macau

MACAU (Dec. 18) - Socialites and showbiz stars joined business tycoons Tuesday for the opening of the MGM Grand Macau, the latest Las Vegas-backed casino to crowd into the tiny Chinese gambling enclave, hoping to lure China's growing middle class.

The US$1.25 billion (euro850 million) MGM Grand is a joint venture between Las Vegas casino operator MGM Mirage and Pansy Ho, former socialite and the daughter of Macau's former casino kingpin, Stanley Ho.

It is jockeying for high rollers with dozens of casinos already stationed in Macau, the only place in China where gambling is legal and which last year raked in more gaming revenue than the Las Vegas Strip.

Dozens of guests began arriving for a black-tie opening ceremony Tuesday evening, sweeping up the grand driveway in black chauffeured limousines. The public would get their first glimpse inside the mirror and steel building just before 11 p.m. (1500 GMT).

The high-profile guest list included Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh, top Macau government officials, as well as local celebrities and tycoons, including Stanley Ho, a spokeswoman said.

Stanley Ho ran the casino business in Macau for 40 years until 2001 - two years after the Portuguese colony returned to Chinese rule - when the government broke up his monopoly and handed out gaming concessions to foreign interests.

American Sheldon Adelson was the first to enter the territory, opening the Sands Macau in 2004, and then this August the US$2.4 billion (euro1.67 billion) Venetian, a Las Vegas style mega casino-resort complete with Italian gondolas punting down indoor canals.

Pansy Ho said the 600-room MGM Grand will target the wealthiest gamblers, called "VIP customers" in the business, who are interested in high-end shopping and entertainment as well as gambling.

For the rest of this story and some cool slide show pics of some of Macau's action, go to MGM Opens Grand Casino in Macau - AOL Money & Finance

And of course, while Macau is growing and offering top shelf adult entertainment, here in Florida we have "two" incompetent political pawns trying to undo the pact our governor made with the Seminole Indians to broaden casino games in the state. The so called "top cop" in the state, Bill McCollum and speaker of the house, Marco Rubio, need to worry more about property insurance, property taxes and the overall budget than worrying about what citizens do with their money and morals.

As long as this state has right leaning, moralistic, good ole boy tight asses like this running things, we will never move forward to the next level of national and international competition.

"Speak Your Mind, those that matter don't mind,
Those that mind, don't matter"

Bobby Sharpe www.myspace.com/akuasharpe Dragon, Book of Shang

Venetian Casino Resort Macau

Venetian Aims to Make Macau Resort City

MACAU (AP) — American billionaire Sheldon Adelson opened what he says is the world's largest casino floor, housed in Asia's largest building Tuesday, adding credence to this coastal Chinese city's stature among major gambling centers.

Adelson and his wife Miriam inaugurated the $2.4 billion Venetian by smashing a bottle of champagne against the front of one of the casino and hotel complex's gondolas.

Casinos like the Wynn and Adelson's Sands have led this small city in southern China past the Las Vegas Strip as the world's most lucrative gambling center.

Las Vegas Corp. Chairman Adelson wants to take it a step further with the 10.5 million square foot Venetian.

He hopes the complex will transform Macau from a gambling pit stop for Chinese tourists to a vacation and business convention destination, where visitors shop, watch shows — and roll the dice.

Today is the beginning of what has been a dream of mine for some time — to reproduce the capital of entertainment in Asia for Asians," Adelson said Tuesday at a news conference.

Macau's casinos are currently scattered across the territory, a peninsula connected to mainland China and two outlying islands by a reclaimed strip of land called Cotai.

Adelson said his Venetian Macao Resort Hotel on Cotai is the cornerstone of what will become a concentrated resort area he calls the Cotai Strip.

Las Vegas Sands claims the 10.5 million square foot Venetian — twice the size of the Las Vegas original — is the largest building in Asia and the second largest in the world. Boeing Co. claims it has the world's largest building — a plant in Washington state.

The Venetian boasts what it claims to be the world's largest gaming space of 550,000 square feet, housing 3,400 slot machines — with room to expand to 6,000 — and more than 800 gambling tables.

It has 3,000 rooms, a 15,000-seat sports arena, retail space for 350 stores, 1.2 million square feet of convention space, fine dining and a Cirque du Soleil-produced show.

Its decor is Venice inspired — with a Chinese touch. Chinese-style sampans as well as gondolas will sail down canals. The resort also features a replica of Venice's St. Mark's Square.

Adelson also plans to open more hotels under brands such as Four Seasons, Sheraton and St. Regis. In all, his Las Vegas Sands Corp., which also runs the Sands Macao on the Macau peninsula, plans to invest up to $12 billion and build 20,000 hotel rooms on the Cotai Strip by 2010.

Some analysts say Adelson is smart in trying to lure new tourists to Macau. The convention business — a specialty of the Las Vegas Sands — is a lucrative one, they say.

"The Venetian will get new customers who are right now not going to Macau at all," analyst Billy Ng at JPMorgan Securities said.

Las Vegas Sands President William Weidner said 44 major conventions have already been scheduled at the Venetian over the next two years.

He also said he expects the Venetian Macao to lengthen the average guest stay to three to four days, from 1.2 days in other Macau hotels.

But it may take time to make Macau a major tourist destination.

It may take a little while, but, at least Macau is headed in the right direction. Hats off to Sheldon Adelson for having the foresight and stones to move forward and make things happen. Those are the elements needed to succeed in today's business/entertainment world. Too bad more "so called business people" do not possess this acumen. However, that is what separates the winners from the "wannabes".

"Free YOUR Mind, Go For It"

Bobby Sharpewww.myspace.com/akuasharpe Bobby Sharpe's "Indigo Spiritz"