"Definitely within the next five years, it will grow back to the US$ 45 billion gaming market,” said Ho "and that’s just the gaming alone, because the non-gaming part is significant.”
In April, Macau GGR rose 16.3 % to US$ 2.5 billion, slightly higher than analyst expectations. Fitch Ratings in an April note forecasted Macau gaming revenue to grow 12 % in 2017.
Ho is also optimistic of the prospects of the Japanese market. "If it’s US$ 20 billion divided by two or three or four operators, that would be very significant,” he said.
Earlier this year, Ho said Melco "will do whatever it takes” to get a Japan casino license. "We don’t want to put a dollar figure on it because ultimately, the opportunity is priceless,” he said.