澳門博彩業費盡心力進入新時代
Billionaire casino tycoon Lui Che-woosays Macau’s gaming industry was heading into a “new era”, following a sharp drop in revenue caused by Beijing’s crackdown on corruption and ostentatious spending.
億萬富翁、賭場大亨呂志和(Lui Che-woo)表示，在中國政府打擊腐敗及奢靡之風的運動導致營收急劇下滑之後，澳門博彩業正進入“新時代”。Mr Lui’s Galaxy Entertainment yesterday reported a 9 per cent rise in full-year revenue to HK$71.8bn (US$9.3bn), making it one of the sector’s better performing operators in 2014. Melco Crown, for example, suffered a 6 per cent drop in income over the same period. However, Galaxy admitted 2014 was a year of two contrasting halves, with group revenue falling 15 per cent in the quarter ending December 31. Mr Lui called last year “one of the most challenging periods in the history of Macau”.
昨天，呂志和旗下銀河娛樂(Galaxy Entertainment)報告全年營收增長9%，達到718億港元（合93億美元），從而使該公司成爲2014年業內表現較好的賭場運營商之一。相比之下，新濠博亞(Melco Crown)在同一時期的利潤遭遇了6%的下滑。不過，銀河娛樂承認2014年前後兩個半年的對比十分鮮明。在截至12月31日的一個季度內，集團營收下滑了15%。呂志和稱，去年是“澳門史上挑戰最大的時期之一”。
Robert Drake, Galaxy’s chief financial officer, acknowledged that China’s high-profile campaign to root out corruption, along with the slowdown in the economy, had taken its toll on the sector in the second half of the year. Turnover in Galaxy’s VIP gaming rooms dropped 16 per cent in the fourth quarter, in keeping with broader trends in the sector.
銀河娛樂首席財務官羅伯特•德雷克(Robert Drake)承認，中國高調的反腐運動和經濟放緩，在2014年下半年令博彩業付出了代價。該年第四季度，銀河娛樂博彩貴賓室的營業額下滑了16%，與業內整體趨勢相符。
Analysts expect overall gaming revenue in Macau to start growing again in the second half of this year, though largely thanks to the favourable base- effect of last year’s contraction.
分析師預計，澳門博彩業總體營收會在今年下半年再次開始增長，不過這在很大程度上要歸功於去年縮水導致的較低基數。Like high-rolling gamblers, investors have shunned Macau’s casinos over the past year. Bloomberg’s index of Macau gaming companies has fallen 55 per cent since January 2014. Galaxy’s shares have fallen 56 per cent.
和出手闊綽的賭客一樣，去年投資者也迴避了澳門賭場。自2014年1月以來，彭博(Bloomberg)澳門博彩企業指數已下跌55%。銀河娛樂的股價也已下跌56%。Galaxy announced a special dividend of HK$0.28 per share while noting that it is “virtually debt free” with a net cash position of HK$8.2bn. Last year it paid two special dividends totalling HK$4.9bn.
銀河娛樂公佈了一項每股0.28港元的特別股息計劃，並指出該公司“幾乎毫無負債”，淨現金頭寸達82億港元。去年，該公司曾支付總計49億港元的兩次特別股息。Shares in Galaxy finished 3.2 per cent higher yesterday, in a broader market that was up 1.5 per cent.
昨天，銀河娛樂股價收盤時上漲3.2%，相比之下大盤上漲了1.5%。
