Land-based casino operator in Macau, Success Universe Group Limited, has reportedly announced that it hopes to be given government permission ‘within this year’ to begin construction on a minimum $76 million addition to its Ponte 16 Resort.

Discreet disclosure:

According to a Wednesday report from GGRAsia, the revelation came via the Deputy Chairman for the Hong Kong-listed firm, Hoffman Ma Ho Man, and means that the company’s plan to bring a shopping mall and some additional casino space to the waterfront venue could be completed by the end of 2021.

Flooding fears:

Opened in 2008 along the eastern bank of the Inner Harbour, the 408-room Ponte 16 Resort currently features a 270,000 sq ft casino operating under a license officially held by local gambling giant SJM Holdings Limited. But, the Macau property’s close proximity to water means that it is often the victim of flooding such as two years ago when it was inundated as a result of Typhoon Hato.

Advanced answer:

Ma also reportedly told GGRAsia that his firm has incorporated a ‘flooding solution’ into its formal expansion plan for the 20-story Ponte 16 Resort and that this advance would be able to deal with flooding caused by very high tides and all but the most serious of storms.

Finance flexibility:

Ponte is one of two casinos to occupy low-lying areas of the Macau Peninsula with the second being the Legend Palace Hotel from Macau Legend Development Limited. Ma reportedly moreover told GGRAsia that Success Universe Group Limited had ‘spent a lot of time on studying the flooding solution issues’ before submitting its expansion plan to the local government and that this scheme could eventually end up costing it as much as $102.3 million to complete.