Vegas casino boss checks out new turf in Macau

Margaret Wong

Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2002 | 9:53 a.m.

MACAU -- Conjuring up a mix of suspense and hype as he moves into this Asian gambling center, American casino mogul Steve Wynn said today he plans to come up with something he's never even tried in Las Vegas.

"I think it's great to do something no one has ever seen before," Wynn told reporters after he spent the day touring this former Portuguese colony that recently ended the 40-year gambling monopoly held by Hong Kong tycoon Stanley Ho.

Wynn, who developed some of the big, flashy properties on the Las Vegas Strip and recently won one of Macau's three casino licenses, provided only a few hints about his plans.

Wynn said he wants to build at least two casinos in Macau -- long a haven for the enthusiastic gamblers who come over from neighboring Hong Kong, which is just 40 miles (64 kilometers) to the east.

Wynn also said he's not worried about the Chinese triad gangs that tarnished Macau's image in the past. They carried out a bloody turf war in the years leading up to Portugal's return of Macau to China in December 1999, but have since cut out most of their violence.

Wynn told reporters he's confident the government can keep things under control.

Wynn said he's still looking for partners for his Macau venture, while already eyeing two casino sites: the central business district on Macau's peninsula that extends from the Chinese mainland, and the outlying island of Taipa -- which is connected by bridges.

Wynn declined to say how much he will invest, although the minimum required by the Macau government is 4 billion patacas ($500 million).

As overseas casino operators gear up to place their bets on Macau, the man who ran the former monopoly is also busily expanding so he can stay in the rapidly changing picture.

Ho's Macau Gaming Co. plans to invest 4.75 billion Macau patacas ($590 million) in the next three to five years on projects including an expansion of his Hotel Lisboa casino complex, an amusement park and a culture village.

Ho also plans to build a new "Supreme Private Club" for high rollers, said Macau Gaming Co. director Ambrose So.

Ho's new entertainment ventures will include a man-made volcano -- a project that sounds similar to the one people can see on the Las Vegas Strip outside the Mirage hotel and casino that Wynn used to own.

So disputed suggestions that Ho was mimicking his new rivals.

"We are not responding to the new competition from Las Vegas," So said. "We planned it two years ago."

But So acknowledged his company was being pressured to spiff up its business.

"Of course this has some influence on us," he said. "It gives us incentive."

At least some gamblers in Macau think the competition will be good.

"I don't really like the atmosphere here -- too many loan sharks come after me trying to lend me money," said Chan Hay-ming, a retired construction worker from Hong Kong who visits several times a year, usually spending about 3,000 Hong Kong dollars ($385) per trip.

A Hong Kong engineer, who gave only his surname, So, said the casinos in Las Vegas are better.

"The casinos here are too chaotic," said So. "I don't feel comfortable."