Sun International enters Chilean market

In two major launch events which saw megastar Jennifer Lopez and husband Marc Anthony perform live in front of more than 15,000 guests over two nights, South African leisure and casino giant Sun International officially opened its newest complex in Chile.

The opening of the US$250-million Monticello Grand Casino and Entertainment World in Mostazal, 60 km south of Santiago, took place over two nights and delivered a taste of the glitz, glamour and extravagant entertainment to come.

These spectacular world-class launch events played host to some of the country’s preeminent celebrities and dignitaries, along with senior Chilean government ministers, dignitaries, business partners and the media. In addition to Lopez and Anthony’s performance, the A-list guests were treated to a high-tech 3D-mapping light show extravaganza and ‘symphony’ fireworks show, along with a gourmet banquet which delighted guests and celebrities alike.

The combination of the 3D mapping (a technique where the façade of the hotel was used as a giant movie screen to project a multitude of video and stills images), the Marc Anthony/Jlo show, as well as the fireworks, resulted in one of the most spectacular private company events of its kind ever seen in Chile.

While the 1500-slot, 80-table casino has been operational since October last year, the full complex with its restaurants, bars, entertainment, 155-room 5 star hotel and spa took a further year in development and the latter opened a few days ago. After only one year of operation, the casino already accounts for some 33% of gross gaming revenue in Chile.

Monticello is the largest private-sector investment ever made in Chile’s leisure sector and marks an important milestone in Sun International’s drive to expand its interests beyond southern Africa.

With its variety of restaurants, bars and entertainment facilities – including the ‘Suka’ nightclub and the ‘Bravo’ live entertainment bar – Monticello is already rapidly positioning itself as one of Chile’s foremost entertainment destinations, while the ‘Paseo’ accommodates a wide range of family attractions. The opening of the casino and adjoining ‘Bravo’ bar and the ‘Suka’ nightclub was accompanied by a dynamic programme to market the casino’s gaming opportunities, promotions and draws, ensuring its reputation as an exciting new gambling entertainment destination.

Said Sun International CE David Coutts-Trotter: “Monticello is situated in a region abundantly blessed with scenic beauty, efficient public infrastructure and boundless potential for future investment in the leisure sector. It is already a key attraction for locals and for visitors from neighbouring countries. To visitors from South Africa who are used to the highest standards, Monticello offers everything exceptional that they have come to expect from a Sun International experience.”

An aggressive marketing campaign has resulted in a successful sign-up to Monticello’s Most Valued Guest loyalty database and by the end of November, the MVG programme already had nearly 170,000 members. Spend rates per visit have exceeded expectations and those of our South African customer base. Our focus going forward needs to be to continuously increase visitor numbers.

“The number of daily visitors to the casino has grown by more than 50% from the October 2008 opening and Monticello was hosting almost 3,000 guests a day by the end of November 2009.”

The completion of the Monticello Grand Hotel will result in a significant increase in the number of visitors to Monticello from centres further afield, and the total number of hours played in the casino among the upper end of the Chilean market.

“This is a world-class entertainment complex which offers visitors top-quality entertainment and a comprehensive range of facilities and amenities. The opening was an incredible event which has dominated the media in Chile for the past weeks. We are very excited about this complex and its future.”

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