Casino News

China's gaming market 'could be ten times as big as the US'

2008-11-05 12:08:26

The Chinese gaming market would have the potential to be ten times the size of the one in the US, it has been claimed.

Dennis Forst, an analyst from Los Angeles firm KeyBanc Capital Markets, was quoted by the Wall Street Journal as suggesting if gambling became legal across the world's most popular nation, its casino industry could be worth as much as $500 billion a year.

Currently, Chinese gaming is restricted to the former Portuguese colony of Macau, which has grown to be the most lucrative casino destination on the planet over the last few years.

It is currently worth well over $10 billion and continues to grow at a substantial rate, appearing set to eclipse gambling revenues generated by Nevada this year.

Several US gaming operators already have an established presence in Macau, including Las Vegas Sands (Sands Macao, The Venetian Macao), Wynn Resorts (Wynn Macau) and MGM Mirage (MGM Grand Macau).