Andrew MacDonald left MBS in July 2021 and joined RWS in September 2022 as chief casino officer. - ANDREW MACDONALD/FACEBOOK
SINGAPORE: Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) chief casino officer Andrew MacDonald and another RWS executive have been banned from the premises of Marina Bay Sands (MBS) for reportedly trying to poach high-rollers, in what industry experts see as an unprecedented move.
Both executives, who were former employees of MBS, were issued persona non grata notices which prohibit them from “entering or remaining on any part of Marina Bay Sands integrated resort premises, including but not limited to the hotel, mall, convention centre and casino”.
MacDonald, a veteran casino executive who had been with MBS for nearly 12 years, shared the notice on his LinkedIn account on Aug 18.
The notice, which was issued on July 31, said the ban against him will remain in force until further notice, and Marina Bay Sands Pte Ltd reserves the right to take legal action against him should he attempt to enter or remain in any part of the MBS premises.
RWS assistant vice-president of business development Louise Ng, who was a former casino employee at MBS, was also issued a persona non grata notice that took effect on July 31. She declined to comment.
MacDonald, who has been in the casino industry for more than 40 years, was appointed executive vice-president of casino operations at MBS in 2010. He became chief casino officer for Las Vegas Sands Corp (LVS) in 2012, overseeing gaming operations across all LVS properties. LVS is the parent company of MBS.
The 64-year-old left MBS in July 2021, and joined RWS in September 2022 as chief casino officer after a non-compete clause in his separation agreement expired.
According to Inside Asian Gaming and other reports, the persona non grata notice was issued due to alleged concerns that MacDonald may have been attempting to poach MBS customers and staff during several visits to the property in July.
In response to ST queries, he denied the allegations, saying his visits were purely social in nature.
ST understands that he visited MBS on several occasions in July because a close friend, former Crown Melbourne executive Mike Sugrue, was in Singapore.
The Crown Melbourne is an integrated resort in the Australian city.
MacDonald had spoken with two high-rollers during two visits but said he did not initiate those chats. He added that on one occasion, a local high-roller initiated a quick friendly chat with him during a meal with Sugrue.
MacDonald also acknowledged that he visited MBS on July 22 to dine at Tong Dim Noodle Bar which is located within the casino.
He again visited the casino on July 26 following the release of LVS’ second quarter 2024 financial results, which he said was a routine practice to stay abreast of gaming offerings.
An MBS spokesperson, when asked why the notices were issued against MacDonald and Ng, said: “Restricting anyone from our premises is not a decision that we take lightly. We have robust protocols to assess the merits of such action. The factors behind a decision of this nature are confidential.”
RWS did not respond when approached for comment.
In response to queries, a spokesperson for the Gambling Regulatory Authority said the imposition of persona non grata notices is a business decision imposed by the casino operators and referred ST to MBS.
Veteran lawyer Salem Ibrahim, who is acting for MacDonald, noted that the notice against his client was issued to cover the whole of the MBS integrated resort, which includes the casino, restaurants, shopping mall, theatre and ArtScience Museum.
“It is unprecedented because Marina Bay Sands integrated resort is a quasi-public place. The integrated resort has inter-connectivity to public infrastructure like the MRT and Gardens by the Bay. It was intended to be the nation’s civic core,” Salem said.
“Public access is axiomatic,” he added. “My client’s position is he has not been guilty of any bad conduct or behaviour that has breached the equivalent of public disorder.”
RWS operator Genting Singapore’s market share of the VIP gaming sector is about 48 per cent to 49 per cent, compared with MBS’ 51 per cent to 52 per cent, UOB Kay Hian Securities investment analyst Jack Goh said. - The Straits Times/ANN
