Casino Executive Banned for Alleged Poaching at Rival Resort

The Chief Casino Officer of Resorts World Sentosa was permanently banned from the Marina Bay Sands after he received a Persona Non-Grata (PNG) notice.

Andrew MacDonald was the corporate senior vice president and chief casino officer at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore for 12 years until he resigned in 2021. The notice, issued by Marina Bay Sands, prohibits him from returning to any area on the Marina Bay property. 

The notice was issued after MacDonald allegedly attempted to poach gamblers and staff members from a resort.

Conflicting accounts

The notice, dated July 31, 2024, was posted on MacDonald’s social media accounts on Sunday, August 18. 

According to the notice, MacDonald is “prohibited from entering or remaining on any part of Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort premises, including but not limited to the Hotel, Mall, Convention Center and Casino.”

It also said that Marina Bay may take legal action should he violate the notice, which will be upheld indefinitely. 

MacDonald denied accusations that he attempted to pry members of the staff and player base from his former employer. He claimed that he visited socially and to meet a close friend, former Crown Melbourne executive Mike Sugrue, who was visiting from Australia.

He conceded that he spoke to two “high-value” gamblers but claimed the run-ins were purely social and that he did not initiate them. 

MacDonald joined Resorts World Sentosa as a chief casino officer and director about one year after he departed from Marina Bay. 

The two casinos are only 15 minutes or about five miles away from one another in the Asian country, which boasts one of the highest GDPs per capita anywhere in the world.

A unique case

Sugrue told IAG that he and MacDonald ran into several Marina Bay Sands executives and that a portion of them helped the pair make their restaurant reservations, seemingly corroborating MacDonald’s account of the innocent nature of their visit. 

PNGs are uncommon in Singapore, though MacDonald’s conflicting interests and history made this a unique case. 

“Restricting anyone from our premises is not a decision that we take lightly,” Marina Bay Sands said in a statement to IAG. “We have robust protocols to assess the merits of such action. The factors behind a decision of this nature are confidential.”

Genting Singapore, Resorts World Sentosa’s parent company, revealed in its first-half earnings report its revenue reached S$1.36 billion ($1.04 billion), a 26 percent year-over-year increase.

Its earnings per share were also up S$0.03 ($0.023) compared to S$0.023 ($0.018) at the same time a year ago. 

Las Vegas Sands, which owns Marina Bay Sands, reported $2.76 billion in Q2 2024, an 8.6 year-over-year increase. Earnings per share beat 2023’s $0.41 by hitting $0.48.