The Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets brought their rivalry to Macau this weekend, playing exhibitions on Friday and Sunday. The 14,000-seat Venetian Arena is the venue, and it is a year from the NBA’s decision on Las Vegas expansion.
NBA Macau returns to the Venetian Arena with a Mavericks-Rockets exhibition series hosted by Sands chief executive Patrick Dumont. The Mavericks are owned by Miriam Adelson, the controlling shareholder of Las Vegas Sands. The Rockets are owned by Tilman Fertitta, who paid $17.6 billion for Caesars Entertainment this year. NBA expansion to Las Vegas is expected to be finalised by the end of the year.
- NBA Macau’s Venetian Arena Comeback
- Sands’ Macau Casino and Las Vegas Plans
- Yao Ming’s Rockets and the Morey Fallout
- Prediction Markets and Sports Integrity
Two Texas rivals took the floor in Macau this weekend, with the Dallas Mavericks facing the Houston Rockets in exhibition games on Friday and Sunday. Both clubs are owned by people with direct connections to Macau gaming. Miriam Adelson, Sands’ controlling shareholder, owns the Mavericks, and Tilman Fertitta, who bought Caesars Entertainment for $17.6 billion this year, owns the Rockets. The two clubs’ owners are effectively competing for the same Chinese market.
The NBA has played 26 games in China since 2004, but only three have been held in Macau. The last appearance was last preseason, when the Phoenix Suns and Brooklyn Nets played there. This year’s series at the 14,000-seat Venetian Arena restores that history. The league is calling the trip a chance to showcase the Venetian resort, casino and arena together.
NBA Macau’s Venetian Arena Comeback
The Venetian Arena opened two months before the 2007 Cavaliers-Magic game, which was the first NBA contest ever held in Macau. It will be nearly 20 years old for this year’s series. The league describes it as NBA-ready, though at 14,000 seats it would rank last among current facilities by capacity.
The star cast gives the series a marketing edge. Headliners include two-time Finals MVP Kevin Durant, Rookie of the Year and Mavericks first-round pick Cooper Flagg, and Kyrie Irving, who is returning to the league nearly 19 months after tearing his ACL in March 2025. Irving also has a signature shoe and apparel line with Chinese outfitter ANTA, so his presence serves both the basketball and the brands.
The events are hosted by Sands chief executive Patrick Dumont, who also serves as governor of the Mavericks. That setup is unusual: the league’s most valuable Chinese marketing partnership is being run from a casino owned by the same company as the visiting team’s owner.
Sands’ Macau Casino and the Las Vegas Expansion
Las Vegas Sands is headquartered in the US but no longer operates casinos there. That separation matters as the NBA’s expansion to Las Vegas nears a decision by year’s end. Sands has been trying to broaden its casino brand globally through the Venetian property’s resort, arena and event calendar.
The timing is not flattering for Sands. Its stock has fallen nearly 45% in 2026, and Macau gaming revenue has declined for four consecutive months. Stakeholders are hoping the NBA events plus the National Day Golden Week, which ran 1-7 October, will spark tourism demand. Rumours that the Adelsons might relocate the Mavericks to Las Vegas surfaced after the front office traded Luka Doncic in February 2025. The club quickly dispelled them.
AGBrief is following the Sands casino recovery and its Chinese marketing plays.
Yao Ming’s Rockets and the Morey Fallout
Fertitta bought the Rockets in 2017 for $2.2 billion, which was a league record at the time. CNBC values the club at around $6.3 billion now. The franchise once drew more attention in China than most because of its centre, Pro Basketball Hall of Famer Yao Ming. Ming was an eight-time All-Star and was inducted alongside Shaquille O’Neal and Allen Iverson in 2016. He also served as president of the Chinese Basketball Association from 2017 to 2024.
That relationship ended badly in 2019, when Morey, then Rockets general manager, posted a tweet supporting Hong Kong protesters. The backlash cut Tencent broadcasts and sponsor ties, and the NBA absorbed hundreds of millions in lost revenues. It took six years for the league to return to China, with the Suns-Nets games in Macau last year. Fertitta now owns both the Rockets and the Golden Nugget brand, a position that could matter as three finalist groups bid for a Las Vegas franchise at $12-13 billion.
Prediction Markets and Sports Integrity
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver became the first major sports leader to embrace sports betting when he wrote a 2014 New York Times op-ed calling for a federal framework with strict regulation. His comments came four years before the US Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in 2018.
The league has not partnered with prediction markets, but star players have, including Lebron James with Polymarket and Giannis Antetokounmpo with Kalshi. Silver told iGB this year that the league needs integrity controls in place. His July remarks also backed closer cooperation between leagues and a potential federal betting “czar”.
The integrity concern is immediate. The league issued its first lifetime ban on former Raptors forward Jontay Porter in 2024 over his involvement in a betting scheme, and a federal case involving several former players is working through New York court weeks before the 2026-27 regular season. The Mavericks-Rockets series is the latest chapter in a year when the NBA is trying to grow its Chinese market and protect its betting reputation at the same time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is hosting the NBA Macau event?
Patrick Dumont, chief executive of Las Vegas Sands and governor of the Dallas Mavericks, is hosting the Mavericks-Rockets exhibition series at the Venetian Arena. The games are scheduled for Friday and Sunday, with the NBA expansion decision to Las Vegas expected by the end of the year.
Which players are headlining the series?
The lineup includes Kevin Durant, a two-time Finals MVP on the Rockets, Cooper Flagg, the Mavericks’ 2025 Rookie of the Year, and Kyrie Irving, who is returning about 19 months after tearing his ACL. Irving also has a signature apparel line with Chinese outfitter ANTA.
What is the Las Vegas expansion bid worth?
Three finalist groups are competing for the franchise and a new arena, with the bidding range reaching $12-13 billion. Fertitta’s current Rockets valuation is around $6.3 billion, up from his $2.2 billion purchase in 2017.
Why does the NBA care about China?
The league has played 26 games in China since 2004, but only three have been in Macau. The Venetian Arena is described as NBA-ready, and the trip is being used to showcase the resort, casino and arena as a single destination to broaden the Mavericks’ and the league’s appeal.
Is the NBA betting against prediction markets?
The NBA has not partnered with prediction market platforms, although players such as Lebron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo have endorsed Polymarket and Kalshi. Commissioner Silver backed closer league cooperation and a federal betting “czar”, while insisting integrity controls remain in place.
This article has been thoroughly researched and reviewed by the CasinoBait editorial team to ensure accuracy and relevance for Asian casino players.
