Macau has the potential to weave e-sports into the fabric of the city’s hotel landscape, NIP Group chair Mario Ho has said. In a recent interview with CNBC International News, Ho revealed his intention to push for hotels dedicated to competitive video gaming. “I think the government is very supportive of sports and also … […]
Macau has the potential to weave e-sports into the fabric of the city’s hotel landscape, NIP Group chair Mario Ho has said.
In a recent interview with CNBC International News, Ho revealed his intention to push for hotels dedicated to competitive video gaming.
“I think the government is very supportive of sports and also … culture in Macau,” Ho said. “And e-sports is an integral part of that, being the most favourite and the most viewed sport for young people.”
To illustrate e-sports’ popularity among the younger generation, the chairman of Macau e-Sports Federation mentioned the entry of a Macau squad to the 2022 Asian Games held in Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province, last year.
It was when e-sports finally evolved to become a medal event from a demonstration in 2018 in Indonesia. The games were forced by the Covid pandemic to take place a year later than scheduled.
“You’ll see a lot more Macau entrepreneurs going into the world of e-sports. Myself being perhaps one of the first success stories of a Macau young entrepreneur going into the Chinese mainland market and actually making big waves afterwards in the international markets,” he said in the interview.
NIP Group, a digital entertainment company, announced in August this year that it had partnered with hospitality company BTG Homeinns to develop and operate esports-themed hotels in mainland China.
This partnership – set to last at least seven years – followed the group’s listing on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange that the 29-year-old Mario Ho the youngest founder of a Nasdaq-listed company in Asia.
The first hotel, co-designed by NIP Group and BTG, will open in a top-tier city.
“I think there absolutely could be a future for e-sports hotels in Macau as well,” he added. “So the birth of e-sport hotel essentially is because the young people have grown tired of the previous form of entertainment, which was going to internet cafes.”
E-sport lodgings, as he pointed out, offer an experience focused on privacy and equipment, allowing guests to train in e-sports skills while enjoying a private stay with friends.
“Lots of older hotels have transformed parts of their hotels into e-sport rooms,” he added.
“So I think that may be a first start for Macau hotels that may be looking to transform as well.”
