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The gambling industry is one of the world’s most successful businesses that provide great entertainment and livelihood opportunities for many people. Over time, the world of gambling created tough competitions and rivalries among gambling companies, specifically in the casinos.
You can find a long list of casinos around the world where gambling enthusiasts would travel to try their luck in winning the jackpot prize. If you want to find out the leading casino operators in the world, read on.
1. Paddy Power (Ireland) – $3.78 Billion
Paddy Power is a bookmaker that originated in Dublin, Ireland in 1988. This company operates a variety of betting shops in the United Kingdom and in Ireland, where they also handle the largest telephone betting service.
They also provide online sports betting, online poker, online bingo, online games, and online casino, which they merged with Betfair to create Paddy Betfair. It is now known as Flutter Entertainment, established on February 2, 2016.
Paddy Power is now Ireland’s largest bookmaker and UK’s sixth-largest gaming company, but people from the United States may not be much familiar with them. The company is popular in some parts of the world for having constant innovations, unique betting markets, and unparalleled customer service. They are known to be one of the biggest players in the gaming market in Europe.
Their business diversification sustaining them and making them among the leading casino operators of today. The founders of Paddy Power, Stewart Kenny, David Power, and John Corcoran, made sure that all their customers will experience as valuable patrons. Their company also provides great entertainment at its shops, increasing the number of customers.
2. Melco Crown Entertainment (China) – $3.97 Billion
Melco Crown Entertainment is the owner, developer, and operator of casino gaming and entertainment casino resort establishments around Asia. They handle operations for Altira Macau, which is a luxurious casino hotel in Taipa, Macau and City of Dreams, a consolidated urban casino resort in Cotai, Macau.
They also have the Mocha Clubs, which contains the operations of electronic gaming machines that is one of the biggest non-casino based in Macau. The company also owns and conducts operations for Studio City, which is a cinematically themed entertainment, retail, and gaming resort in Cotai, Macau.
The Philippines also has their subsidiary Melco Crown Entertainment who manages the operations for City of Dreams Manila, which is a hotel, retail, casino, and entertainment integrated resort in Manila, located in its Entertainment City complex.
Melco Crown Entertainment has strong support from their single largest shareholder, Melco International Development Limited, which is listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited, which Mr. Lawrence Ho owns. He is also the Executive Director, the Chief Executive Officer, and the Chairman of the Company.
3. Wynn Resorts (USA) – $4.1 Billion
Wynn Resorts, Limited is a corporation based in Paradise, Nevada, which is the operator and developer of first-class casinos and hotels. Founded in 2002 by Steve Wynn, who is the former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Mirage Resorts, which is now under Matthew Maddox’s management. Wynn Resorts owns and operates Wynn Las Vegas, Wynn Macau, Wynn Palace, Cotai, and Encore Boston Harbor.
Encore Las Vegas and Wynn showcase two luxury hotel towers that have approximately 194,000 square feet of casino area, 4,748 elegant hotel rooms, villas, and suites, 22 amazing dining experiences that feature signature chefs, and 11 bars, 560,000 square feet area for convention and meeting events.
Adding to their features are recreation and leisure facilities, a beach club, and two award-winning spas. Wynn Las Vegas added a new attraction with the new Wynn Golf Club, which has a 129-acre championship golf course. Suffice to say, the company is among the leading casino operators that know how to diversify.
4. Genting (Malaysia) – $4.6 Billion
Genting Malaysia and Genting Berhad had a restructuring procedure, where Genting Malaysia acquired the entire hotel, gaming, and resort-related operations from Genting Berhad, and also included goodwill and some relevant assets. The company traded its shares on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia upon its listing on December 22, 1989.
The Resorts World Genting (“RWG”) is Malaysia’s most popular integrated resort for locals and tourists that features about 10,500 rooms in its seven unique hotels. The resort also showcases a wide variety of leisure and entertainment amenities that provides gaming, amusement attractions, and theme parks, retail and dining shops, and even business conventions and international shows. Not only is it the sole casino operator in the country, but it is also among the leading casino operators in the world.
Resorts World Genting, formerly known as Genting Highlands Resort, had an incredible task on pursuing this project that made a successful development in the country. Sri Lim Goh Tong, the founder of RWG, came up with the vision of building a hill resort, while he was working in Cameron Highlands during a project involving a hydroelectric power plant. He felt the crisp cool mountain air and envisioned for his country a holiday resort on a cool mountain, and the rest is history.
5. Caesars Entertainment (USA) – $4.7 Billion
Another one of the leading casino operators is Caesars Entertainment. Eldorado Resorts, Inc. and Caesars Entertainment, Inc. created the largest gaming company in the United States in 2020 – Caesars Entertainment. Both companies shared a rich and valued history that led them to be the leader in the gaming industry worldwide.
The Caesars Entertainment company started in 1937 when Bill Harrah established his Harrah’s Bingo Club, a simple business located in Reno, Nevada. It was a single property that grew over time that brought 50 brilliant casinos around the world. The Flamingo Hotel & Casino was the first casino on the Las Vegas Strip in 1947. Ther Harrah’s became the first casino company on the listing on the New York Stock Exchange in 1973.
6. William Hill (UK) – $5.17 Billion
Considered as the world’s largest betting brand, William Hill owns 2,325 betting shops in the UK alone. The company also operates an online gambling site, accessible in 10 currencies and 24 languages, which features horse race betting, sports betting, casino, financial betting, poker, skill and arcade games, and bingo. All these features are exclusive on a single website and player account bank.
The company serviced more than 1.3 million gamblers in 2011, reaching profits of more than £146.5 million. William Hill became the first bookie in the world to feature fixed odds on football betting in 1944, enough to cement their name as one of the leading casino operators globally.
7. SJM Holdings (China) – $6.34 Billion
SJM Holdings Ltd. manages an investment holding, while Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, S.A., their operating subsidiary, handles game-related activities casino and gaming operations in Macau. SJM Holdings Ltd. operates on Hotel and Catering Operations, and Gaming Operations.
The Hotel and Catering operations are one segment that engages in hotel services, catering, and other related services. The gaming operations segment features the functions of casinos and other related establishments. Their headquarters is in Hong Kong and started operating on February 17, 2006. They continue to headline some impressive events, making them among the leading casino operators in the world.
8. Galaxy Entertainment Group (China) – $6.6 Billion
Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd. is a major operator of casinos in Macau and provides hospitality and related services. They are also performing these segments: the Gaming and Entertainment, Construction Materials, and Corporate and Treasury Management. The Gaming and Entertainment segment operates on gaming facilities and features hospitality services.
The Construction Materials segment involves the sale and manufacturing of construction materials. The Corporate and Treasury management segment renders corporate-level affairs that include central treasury management and administrative function. Galaxy Che Woo Lui founded the Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd. in 1995 with its headquarters in Hong Kong.
9. MGM Resorts (USA) – $9.2 Billion
On May 31, 2000, MGM Grand, Inc. acquired Mirage Resorts, Inc. which formed the MGM MIRAGE and was the largest transaction in the gaming industry with a value of $6.4 billion. MGM MIRAGE obtained Mandalay Resort Group for the amount of $7.9 billion and kept the MGM MIRAGE name, then they renamed it to MGM Resorts International. Before the acquisition of the Mirage Resorts, MGM Grand, Inc. was the owner and operator of the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The hotel operations started on December 18, 1993. It was the world’s largest hotel and casino at that time. They also owned New York-New York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas; Buffalo Bill’s, the Primm Valley Resort, and Whiskey Pete’s in Primm, Nevada; MGM Grand Detroit Casino; MGM Grand Australia in Darwin, Australia; and also operated some casinos in Johannesburg, and Nelspruit, Witbank Republic of South Africa.
Eventually, they sold their South African interests in 2002, their Darwin resort in 2004, and their Primm Resorts in 2007. To date, the casino hotel is among the leading casino operators.
10. Las Vegas Sands (USA) – $11.69 Billion
The Las Vegas Sands manages the development of their properties in different destinations. Most of their properties exhibit celebrity chef’s restaurants, retail, accommodations, entertainment, exhibition and convention facilities, gaming, and other services. The company operates in places around the world such as Singapore, Macao, and the United States.
The Singapore segment features the Marina Bay Sands, while the Macao segment offers operations of The Venetian Macao; Sands Cotai Central; The Plaza Macao, Four Seasons Hotel Macao, The Parisian Macao; and Sands Macao.
The United States segment involves operations for Las Vegas Operating Properties and Sands Bethlehem. Sheldon G. Adelson founded Las Vegas Sands in August 2004 with headquarters located in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Winning the Game: Leading Casino Operators
These are the top leading casino operators in the world based on their revenues and their branches of operations. They have great experiences with handling operations and how to sustain them while making great profits over time.