Macau casino concessionaire Sands China Ltd. last month announced that it will use the services of South Korean mobile payment and digital wallet services Kakao Pay and Macau Pass. The goal is to make payments easier for resort guests from South Korea.
According to Inside Asian Gaming, Sands announced the new deal just as South Koreans began to celebrate the annual Chuseok festival, a three-day celebration of fall harvest during which most Koreans travel.
Using the digital technologies, Sands China added, “should help attract more visitors from this important source market while supporting the (Macau Government Tourism Office’s) ‘tourism-plus’ initiatives.”
Dean Zhao, senior vice president of eCommerce for the U.S.-based gaming company, said, “We are delighted to partner with Kakao Pay and Macau Pass to bring unparalleled offerings and seamless resort experiences to our Korean visitors.
“Korea is one of the top inbound tourism countries, and the Venetian Macao and Parisian Macao have long been favored by Korean guests, who are also drawn to our latest integrated resort, the Londoner Macao.
“This meaningful cooperation with Kakao Pay and Macau Pass is aligned with our philosophy to continually seek solutions that enhance the customer experience, including the use of familiar technology from their home market.
“This in turn supports the Macao SAR government’s policies and efforts to diversify visitor source markets geared toward tourism and economic revival,” he continued, “as together we raise the city’s profile as a world center of tourism and leisure.”
First introduced in 2014, Kakao Pay is now available in almost 50 countries. It allows users to make payments using their smartphones.
