Asia’s Wealthiest Casino Tycoons: The Top Five Power Players
Asia’s casino industry has become a global powerhouse, driven by a select few visionary owners.
The Asian Casino Landscape: Restriction, Opportunity, and Enormous Wealth
Across Asia, gambling laws span a vast spectrum. While some nations strictly prohibit casinos, others have embraced gaming as a pillar of tourism and economic growth. As a result, massive demand in the world’s most populous continent is channeled into just a handful of iconic gaming hubs, particularly in Macau. This dynamic has enabled a select group of casino moguls to amass extraordinary fortunes and wield major influence, reshaping the global gambling industry.
Below, we explore the top five richest casino owners in Asia, uncovering how they built their empires, the legacy projects that define their careers, and the current state of their fortunes.
Lui Che Woo: Architect of Galaxy Entertainment Net Worth: $12.4 Billion
Lui Che Woo’s journey began outside the gaming world. He first created K. Wah Group, initially a quarry operator importing machinery to Hong Kong, before diversifying into property across Southeast Asia. His real breakthrough came in 2002, when the end of Stanley Ho’s monopoly in Macau gave new companies a path into the market. Lui’s Galaxy Entertainment Group secured one of the initial three gaming licenses.
By 2006, Galaxy unveiled the StarWorld Macau Casino and Hotel, a 5-star property famous for its dazzling appearance. In 2011, Lui’s flagship—Galaxy Macau—opened after a $1.9 billion investment. This integrated resort rapidly elevated his group to the city’s top tier: by 2016, Galaxy Entertainment surpassed Sands China to become Macau’s market leader, capturing 23% of local gaming revenues.
Now in his nineties, Lui Che Woo has handed much of his empire’s day-to-day management to his children, with his son Francis at the helm of Galaxy Entertainment.
Stanley Ho: The “King of Gambling” and Macau Pioneer Net Worth: $6.4 Billion
No other figure has shaped Asian gaming quite like Stanley Ho. For four decades, he maintained an unrivaled monopoly over Macau’s casino scene as the founder and chairman of SJM Holdings. Ho didn’t just oversee casinos—he helped transform Macau from a quiet fishing outpost into a global gambling destination.
Known for bold ideas, Ho masterminded innovative ways to bring visitors to the city, such as building a harbor and running swift ferry services from Hong Kong. His portfolio includes the Grand Lisboa, Macau’s tallest and most iconic structure. Yet, his storied career was also dogged by rumors—allegations of organized crime links persisted despite his public denials.
Following his retirement at 96, Ho’s vast empire was divided among his family, which spanned four wives and 17 children. His daughter Pansy Ho, now a key player herself, owns significant stakes in SJM Holdings and MGM China. Meanwhile, Angela Leong, his fourth wife, serves as SJM’s managing director and has her own multibillion-dollar fortune.
Pansy Ho: A Casino Heiress Reinvented Net Worth: $3.2 Billion
Pansy Ho, the eldest daughter of Stanley Ho, took a unique route to riches. Before embracing the family business, she carved out early success as an actress and ran a sought-after public relations firm called Occasions.
Her fortunes multiplied with her investment in MGM China. As MGM Resorts increased its ownership of the Macau unit, Pansy sold shares at a premium, including a notable $86 million sale in May 2021. Today, she remains a major shareholder in both MGM China (operating two large resorts in Macau) and SJM Holdings. She also holds nearly a third of MGM Macau, a luxury casino-resort with 600 rooms, and serves as managing director of MGM Grand Paradise, an appointment delivering her approximately $8 million annually in compensation.
Chen Lip Keong: From Oil Exploration to Cambodia’s Casino King Net Worth: $2.4 Billion
Chen Lip Keong stands as one of Malaysia’s wealthiest individuals, yet his casino fortune was crafted abroad. Traveling to Cambodia in search of oil, he pivoted when fortune eluded him—winning instead a high-stakes government contract.
In 1994, Keong’s company NagaCorp received exclusive rights to operate a casino in the capital, Phnom Penh, via a 70-year concession and government-guaranteed monopoly lasting through 2035. He transformed the city’s skyline with NagaWorld, now Cambodia’s premier luxury gaming hotel. The sprawling complex features multiple casinos, interconnected spaces, and hidden passageways.
NagaWorld 2 added 300 gaming tables and luxury suites, continuing Keong’s aggressive expansion. When financing the Naga2 addition, Keong forwent costly bank loans and instead invested $369 million of his own money, choosing company shares as repayment. The next ambitious upgrade—Naga3, set to feature a 75-story hotel—is already underway with a projected $3.5 billion budget and an expected opening in 2025.
Lim Kok Thay: Leading Genting’s Global Expansion Net Worth: $2.2 Billion
Genting Group is a household name in gaming and resorts, thanks to the foundation laid by Lim Goh Tong in 1965. Today, stewardship of the empire falls to Lim Kok Thay, his son, who became director in 1976.
Genting’s reach spans continents, with high-profile casinos in Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and the UK. The company also delves into palm oil and cruise lines—Star Cruises being its most well-known seafaring venture, with its ships (like Genting Dream) hosting onboard casinos.
The COVID-19 pandemic dealt Genting Group a setback when its cruise subsidiary, Genting Hong Kong, entered liquidation in 2022. Yet Lim Kok Thay acted swiftly, launching Resort World Cruises and returning the Genting Dream ship to the seas. Ambitiously, he is now seeking to acquire more vessels and has even placed a long-shot bid for a coveted Macau gaming license, positioning Genting for future Asian expansion.
The Influence of Asia’s Casino Tycoons
These five magnates personify the rapid growth, innovation, and challenges defining Asian casino development. From historic family legacies and calculated expansions to new fronts in integrated resorts and hospitality, their stories reveal the dynamic forces shaping the gambling world’s most lucrative region.
As Asian governments debate regulation and competition increases, these casino owners continue to set the pace, shaping not only their own fortunes but the very future of entertainment tourism across the continent.
Lead image: Jimmy Woo Man Tsing
