In the high-roller gambling market, ‘luxury’ is the name of the game. Casino operators across Australia are constantly vying for the attention of VIP players from Asia, and they aim to attract this target audience with the promise of glamorous gifts. To help secure more business from Asian high rollers, Echo Entertainment will be investing in a brand new private jet that will offer a chauffer service to wealthy patrons.

According to a report in The Australian, Echo Entertainment will be spending $50 million on a Bombardier Global XRS. It will be the casino’s third private jet, and it will be used to fly high roller gamblers from Asia directly to The Star. The news comes shortly after Echo Entertainment announced huge growth in the past year.

Over the course of 2014, the casino operator saw a 97% increase in wagers from high rollers – who bet $22.3 billion on table games at the casino. This is the first major increase in revenue the company has seen since its refurbishment. When the company renovated the property, its goal was to attract more high-end clientele – and the tactic is finally working. Still, Echo Entertainment aims to maintain its focus on domestic players.

Crown Sydney will open as a competing high-roller gambling venue in 2019, which is likely to detract international VIP business from The Star. Since high roller wagers accounted for just 20% of bets made at the casino last year, it is important for The Star to continue attracting local players to build up a fan base among them.

“From a strategic point of view our focus is on the domestic business,” says Matt Bekier, Chief Executive of Echo Entertainment. “The VIP business is great. We would love to have as much of it as we can, but in terms of our focus the domestic business is the priority.’’

About the Author

George Anderson
Author George, has over 25+ years’ experience in the Pokies and Casinos industry throughout Australia and New Zealand. Loves to research new Pokies games on the block and follows announcements from top industry providers about their upcoming releases. As soon as a new interesting pokie game appears on his radar, George is there to check it out and give you the scoop before anyone else and tell you about all casino sites where can play the latest game. Before this gig, George worked as Pokie game tester, making him an ideal candidate for this genre of work. He is also an animal lover and a proud owner of three dogs.