Lucky 7 bet blazes a trail in Macau for Oct Golden Week
Many major Macau casino properties were on Thursday offering the new ‘Lucky 7’ side bet format and its variation ‘Super Lucky 7′, alongside the established special bet, ‘Small 6/Big 6’.
The most popular live-table baccarat bets on main floors – whether on Macau peninsula or in Cotai – were priced at either HKD1,000 (US$128.74) or HKD2,000.
The observation was based on a floor tour by GGRAsia on Thursday, the third day of a seven-day mainland China holiday encompassing China’s National Day celebrations on October 1.
Investment analysts have noted that tourism volume in the city is not always a proxy for Macau gross gaming revenue (GGR). Nonetheless, the special administrative region received more than 300,000 visitors – most from the Chinese mainland – on the first two days of the ongoing holidays, that run until October 7 inclusive.
GGRAsia’s Thursday casino-floor checks began on Macau peninsula at 11.20am at Grand Lisboa, a casino hotel property run by SJM Resorts Holdings Ltd.
Level 1 at Grand Lisboa had many busy baccarat tables, with minimums of HKD1,000, HKD1,500, HKD2,000 and HKD3,000. The most popular were the HKD1,000 up to HKD2,000 tables.
Several Level 1 tables offered the new-to-Macau ‘Lucky 7’ and ‘Super Lucky 7’ side bets. They were each presented to customers via a single betting ‘box’ on the table felt, sandwiched between ‘Small 6’ and ‘Big 6’ side-bet options each with their own boxes.
The Mezzanine Level at Grand Lisboa had – at one of its two wings – high-limit baccarat with minimums from HKD3,000 to HKD5,000 but tables were sparsely populated.
The other high-limit wing on that level, the Phoenix Pavilion room, had even thinner traffic.
GGRAsia’s next stop at 12.10pm on Thursday was Wynn Macau (pictured, above) the downtown property of Wynn Macau Ltd.
Elongated versions of live-dealer baccarat tables, each with two dealers staffing them, had minimums of HKD500 to HKD800, with moderate traffic.
Most of Wynn Macau’s main floor baccarat tables were offering and taking in Lucky 7 and Super Lucky 7 side bets, on tables already equipped with the established ‘6s’ side bets.
Main floor baccarat minimum bets were HKD1,000 to HKD3,000. The busiest were tables of the lower end of the range.
At Wynn Macau’s Diamond Club zone, all tables featured Lucky 7 and Super Lucky 7. Traffic was sparse, and minimums ranged from HKD2,000 to HKD5,000.
At the property’s Encore Casino, all tables – ranging from HKD2,000 up to HKD10,000 – had Lucky 7 and its variant, as well as the ‘6s’ side bets. The busiest tables were HKD3,000 and HKD5,000.
Next stop at 12.45pm was the MGM Macau property of MGM China Holdings Ltd. There, high limits baccarat zone – with games all offered on ‘smart’ gaming tables – had a few busy tables at the HKD2,000 and HKD3,000 denomination. Tables in that zone offered the ‘7s’ and ‘6s’ side bets. Some tables there had a so-called ‘insurance bet’ option.
Many tables observed on the main floor – all with ‘smart’ capability – were busy, had side bet options, and ranged from HKD1,000 up to HKD3,000. The busiest tables are the lower end of the range.
GGRAsia’s next stop was at 1.15pm at StarWorld Hotel, Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd’s downtown casino hotel. There a large poster advertised a Super Lucky 7 bet with a payout of as much as 1:100. On Level 1 of the venue, the ‘6s’ and ‘7s’ side bets were available on all tables observed. Minimums were HKD1,000 up to HKD3,000. The busiest tables were at HKD1,000 and HKD2,000.
At Level 5, the Horizon high-limit zone was busy, baccarat at HKD3,000 up to HKD10,000. Most popular were the HKD3,000 tables, and all tables had the 6s and 7s side bets.
GGRAsia then visited gaming floors at Cotai resorts, starting at 3pm with the Galaxy Macau property of Galaxy Entertainment (pictured, above).
Main-floor baccarat tables – ranging from HKD1,000 up to HKD5,000 – all had the ‘6s’ and ‘7s’ side bets. Traffic overall was strong, with the busiest tables being priced at HKD1,000 and HKD2,000.
At the Pavilion North high-limit area – ranging from HKD3,000 to HKD10,000 – all tables observed were ‘smart’, and offered the mentioned side bets.
Many tables were occupied. The HKD5,000 ones were popular. Three HKD10,000 tables were full.
At Pavilion South high-limit area, bets were from HKD2,000 up to HKD10,000, but were less busy than Pavilion North.
At 3.40pm at the Venetian Macao property of Sands China Ltd, main-floor baccarat ranged from HKD1,000 to HKD3,000. Many tables were busy, with the most popular being at HKD1,000 and HKD2,000. Most observed tables had smart technology.
In a high limit zone, minimums were from HKD2,000, up to HKD10,000, with the busiest tables priced at HKD3,000 and HKD5,000. A number of tables were smart; but most were standard tables.
GGRAsia did not observe any Lucky 7 side bets being offered at the Venetian Macao property (pictured, below), though Small 6/Big 6 was seen across all tables in the main floor and the high-limit zone.
At 4.25pm at the Studio City property, majority-owned by Melco Resorts & Entertainment Ltd, main floor baccarat was from HKD500 to HKD3,000, with the busiest tables in the middle of the range. All tables observed had the ‘6s’ and ‘7s’ bets. Some observed tables had ‘smart’ capability.
At 4.50pm at the Londoner Grand Casino, a recently revamped and rebranded gaming area at Sands China’s Londoner Macao, all the observed tables were smart, but none were seen as having the Lucky 7 side bet. Table pricing ranged from HKD500 up to HKD3,000. Many were busy, with the most popular at HKD800, HKD1,000 and HKD1,500.
At 5.05pm at the property’s other main gaming area, the Londoner Casino, all tables observed were smart, with minimums from HKD2,000 up to HKD10,000. Many tables were busy, with the most popular at HKD2,000 and HKD3,000. Again, no Lucky 7 bet capability could be observed by GGRAsia.
At 5.15pm at Melco Entertainment’s City of Dreams, all the observed main floor baccarat tables had Lucky 7 and Super Lucky 7, and minimums of HKD500, up to HKD3,000. Busiest were the lower end of the range.
High-limit tables had the new side bets, and minimums of HKD3,000, HKD5,000 and HKD10,000, the busiest being the middle denomination.
At 5.35pm at MGM Cotai, all observed main-floor tables were smart, and offered the ‘6s’ and ‘7s’ side bets. Tables were HKD1,000 to HKD3,000, with the HKD1,000 and HKD1,500 tables the most popular.
All high-limit tables seen were smart and offered the side bets, with denominations from HKD2,000 to HKD5,000. The HKD3,000 ones were busiest.
Across the road at Wynn Palace at 5.55pm, most main-floor baccarat tables seen, offered the side bets. The top end was at HKD3,000. Busiest were the HKD1,000 up to HKD2,000 tables.
At the property’s Diamond Club: again, all observed tables offered the side bets, and minimums of either HKD3,000, or HKD5,000, with the lower-end ones being the busiest.
At 6.15pm at SJM Holdings’ Grand Lisboa Palace (pictured, above), main floor tables were HKD1,000 up to HKD3,000. Tables in the middle of the floor were seen to have the ‘7s’ side bets alongside the established ’6s’ bets. Overall, traffic was quite good, with denominations up to HKD2,000 the most popular.
The Phoenix Pavilion, a high-limit room, had sparse traffic, and did offer Small 6/Big 6, but there was no sign of Lucky 7.
