Macau’s casinos have been the target of an anti-corruption government crackdown for the last 24 months, but Steve Vickers and Associates Ltd now warns that the biggest gambling hub in the world is an ‘attractive target’ for terror groups like ISIS who want to destroy American, Jewish and Chinese interests.
Macau is home to some of the biggest casino resorts in the world and draw tourists from all over the world. While Beijing has ramped up investigations targeting corrupt officials and VIP gamblers during the last two years, there hasn’t been any increase in security levels addressing the threat of a terrorist attack.
Steve Vickers and Associates Ltd recently released a report cautioning Macau’s casino industry of future terrorist attacks. The report said “Terrorism remains a concern in the Asia-Pacific region, with traditional venues at risk given the nexus of Chinese, American and Jewish interests in the [city’s] gaming sector.
U.S. operators own three of six concessions on the island. U.S based Las Vegas Sands Corp which is run by the 82 year old Jewish billionaire Sheldon Adelson who has strong political ties to Israeli president Benjamin Netanyahu and also the biggest donor to U.S politicians in the Republican Party.
Steve Wynn, the chairman of Wynn Resorts which operates casinos in Macau is also Jewish and someone who has strong political connections in the United States. The Vickers report highlights the fact that these vested interests in Macau’s casinos put these multi-billion dollar casinos on the radar of Islamic terrorist groups, along with MGM Resorts International, properties.
While ISIS hasn’t launched a terror attack in Mainland China to date, the Chinese government have been growing concerned over intelligence reports that radical Islamic terrorist groups are increasing in Xinjiang province, which is in Western China. Xinjiang is home to a large number of Muslim Uighurs who have been protesting and opposing local authorities for the last few years, creating huge problems for the province. A number of these Muslim Uighurs are also suspected of pledging their allegiance to terrorist groups like Al Qaeda and has left Beijing with serious security concerns.
The Vickers report also went on to caution Macau’s casino industry to be prepared for another year of declining gross gaming revenues as the government crackdown on VIP gamblers and junket operators is expected to increase in 2016. The report advised the new casinos which are preparing to open on the Cotai strip to abandon the old business model of depending on the VIP gambling segment and come up with a new model that promoted non-gaming interests.