Melco Crown profit falls 83%, CEO says Macau VIP “will never be what it once was”

Casino operator Melco Crown Entertainment (MCE) profit tumbled 83% in Q3 as the bottom line was laid low by Macau’s ongoing slump.

Revenue in the three months ending June 30 was down 24% to $916.8m while adjusted earnings slipped 35% to $204.9m. Net income fell to $24.3m from $143.6m in the same period last year. Company CEO Lawrence Ho said MCE had delivered a “solid” performance given the “challenging environment” in Macau, where gaming revenue has fallen for 14 straight months.

MCE’s flagship City of Dreams property reported revenue falling one-third to $654.2m. Reflecting Macau’s overall trend, the property’s VIP gaming turnover fell by one-half, while mass market table drop fell 10% and slots handle fell 26%. Non-gaming revenue dipped just 5%.

At Altira Macau, revenue fell 21% to $143.9m. VIP turnover was down 21% and mass table drop fell 15%. The Mocha Clubs slots halls saw revenue dip 10% to $33.2m.