Content Writer: Janice Chew • Friday, 25/09/2025 - 22:51:21 - PM
MGM Resorts CEO Bill Hornbuckle conveyed a strong message from the Bank of America Securities 2025 Gaming & Lodging Conference: Macau’s promotional environment has become more manageable—even as VIP patronage surges—thanks in part to regulatory oversight. He acknowledged, “We got very aggressive on the casino floor… we changed a bunch of things: how we fed people on the floor, how the floor is designed, the padding in the carpet… the lighting, the correlation between how you position the games.” He added, “Fortunately, although it’s always aggressive [in Macau], we haven’t seen it creep out of control… I think there is a check and balance on that.”
Driving this shift, Hornbuckle highlighted the significant impact of MGM’s strategy changes. By expanding room and suite capacity at MGM Macau and MGM Cotai, and reconfiguring the gaming floors, MGM boosted its market performance. “We were under-suite-ed and we are under-roomed given our scale, and we have outperformed,” Hornbuckle explained. “Picking up 100 more tables didn’t hurt… now we’ve unleashed all of that and it is paying dividends for us.”
He also emphasized healthy margins. “We’re going to hit a 28% margin, give or take, so I’m excited by where that has gone and where it’s going.” This underscores how operational discipline and customer-focused service can drive profitability in a competitive terrain.
Looking ahead, Bill Hornbuckle offered optimism spurred by a return of measured demand and market momentum. He noted that while junket tiers have faded, VIP and premium markets are thriving: “We have seen from Southeast Asia… a big lift. I also think we have a distinct advantage there … we know the customers, we know where they live, so we’re in a great position to do that.” He added, “It’s just over US$30 billion [annual run rate]… I think it’s got some more room to grow… It won’t be US$45 billion anytime soon but… that’s the reality that we all understand.”
