Adelson: 30 Percent Growth for Macau Casinos

American gambling mogul Sheldon Adelson aired the optimism in the gambling industry on Saturday, predicting that the Macau gaming market would grow by 30 percent in the second half of 2010 in comparison to the previous year.

"This is not just in comparison with last year, but we also take into account the natural growth of the sector," Adelson said at a press conference in nearby Hong Kong.

If the prediction comes true it would be a boon for the global gambling industry, given that Macau recently overtook Las Vegas as number one in the world for gambling revenue.

Sands China, which already operates the Venetian Macau, Four Seasons and Sands Macau, plans to open the first phase of its new gaming resort in 2011.

The $12 billion complex is being built on the Cotai Strip, a new casino district situated on reclaimed lands between the Taipa and Coloane islands in the south of the tiny former Portuguese colony.

Adelson's Las Vegas Sands, which owns Sands China, said last February that the damage from its fourth quarter losses in 2009 was weakened by its successful Macau operations.

On a more negative note, Adelson said that the recent move by the Macau government to limit the number of gaming tables would have a major impact on his casino resorts, which cater to both VIP and the regular market, while not affecting competitors who focus solely on the VIP market.