Macau’s future lies in embracing sports and esports, says Mario Ho

(AsiaGameHub) –   In a keynote address delivered at G2E Asia on Thursday, Mario Ho emphasized that Macau should strengthen its sports culture to engage the next generation of participants and enthusiasts.

The youngest son of casino magnate Stanley Ho proposed an “sports-plus” strategy that goes beyond conventional casinos by capitalizing on the popularity of global sports and their digital counterpart, esports. Together, he said, these fields are “quietly reshaping how cities and destinations compete for younger audiences.”

“The question is no longer when Asia will lead the next decade in global sports,” Ho stated. “Instead, the real challenge is determining which city and which operator will be the first to act.”

He urged “governments, investors, technology partners, sports operators, and integrated resort operators” to collaborate in meeting this opportunity. “We all need to unite,” he remarked. “The potential is evident.”

In 2024, Ho became the youngest founder of a Nasdaq-listed company based in Asia—NIP Group, an international esports enterprise. At 31 years old, he also serves as co-owner of the Boston Celtics. He highlighted that sports’ universal appeal “overcomes barriers that politics, business, and traditional media cannot.”

For example, more than six billion people—representing 75% of the world’s population—are expected to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This month-long tournament, spanning events across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, could generate up to $4 billion in total wagers.

To capture a share of that market, Ho argued, Macau needs “determination.” It must “strive to reduce reliance on traditional gaming as the sole driver of economic growth.”

‘Sports, Culture, Tourism, Technology’

Mario Ho was born in Hong Kong in 1995 to Stanley Ho and his fourth wife, Angela Leong, who now serves as co-chair of Macau-based gaming operator SJM Holdings. A mathematical prodigy from early childhood, he attended both Oxford University and MIT before becoming chief marketing officer at iDreamsky Technology, a Tencent-backed firm.

In 2019, he established Shenzhen V5 Esports Club, which later merged with Wuhan eStar Esports Club to form ESVF. That organization subsequently acquired Sweden’s esports team Ninjas in Pyjamas, giving rise to the NIP Group.

NIP describes itself as an ecosystem encompassing “esports teams, arenas and events, content and influencer networks, game publishing, and hospitality. Operating across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas, we push the boundaries of interactive entertainment and expand gaming access to new audiences worldwide.”

Its fan base numbers in the “hundreds of millions.” According to the Macau Daily Times, China alone hosted 668 million esports gamers in 2024. Ho refers to this trend as “sports plus culture plus tourism plus technology”—a movement capable of transforming the entertainment economy throughout Asia.

“The next generation of integrated resorts won’t be defined only by hotel rooms, restaurants, and gaming floors,” he declared during his remarks at G2E, held at The Venetian Macao. “They will evolve into something far more comprehensive: a true industrial platform.”