DJ Diesel is a global icon wherever he goes. Shaquille O’Neal is not only entertaining and making millions, he’s putting money back into economies. One entire region’s business is bursting at the seams with a dash of the Big Aristotle influence. His larger-than-life stardom has drawn the biggest crowds and took the line on the graph higher than expected. That marks the biggest success of Shaq’s recent Chinese expedition.

Shaq has been going around the country like a dynamic tourist, entertaining fans, and receiving love in return. At least the locals at one region are grateful for his presence.

Shaquille O’Neal makes business boom

From October 1 to 7, billions of Chinese people revel in all kinds of festivities during Golden Week. For Macau, this week is golden because of the influx of tourists. The popular gambling destination is still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, Macau’s collective casino business raked in around $42 billion and yet it was not enough to reset the downturn. After slow tourist seasons, Macau went all out for Golden Week with star-studded events.

One such event brought Shaquille O’Neal to the “Las Vegas of the East.” Shaq is the life of a party town and it shows.

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He kicked off Golden Week on with a poolside dance party at Wynn Palace on October 1. Global EDM icons from Singapore, South Korea, and Czech Republic joined the NBA Hall-of-Famer to close the summer with an exciting pool party. The enticement worked.

Macau saw a boost of 932,000 visitors this week. That’s an 84% increase from 2019’s Golden Week numbers. With more visitors came high-rollers. Gaming revenue reached all-time, a positive for Macau’s casino-recovery efforts. Financial analysts estimate this boost will fix the pandemic losses by next year.

This is also a big push to Macau’s campaign for an image change.

The city aims to expand beyond a gambling destination and become a multi-faceted entertainment hub like Las Vegas in the US. Sin City is also where DJ Diesel hosts many of his own star-studded shows and operates multiple businesses like Big Chicken Shaq and the newly inaugurated, Shaq’s Fantasy Labs.

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Majority of the tourists to Macau came from the mainland China. Shaq’s been on a tour across the country for multiple events and charming fans effortlessly.

Shaq is a Big attraction in China

The world’s most populous country is absolutely enraptured by Shaquille O’Neal.

The Los Angeles Lakers legend’s charisma that attracts crowds to NBA courts and music festivals is spilling into the streets of China. From exploring on a slim scooter like a real local to snapping pictures with his littlest fans, all of that 7 foot magnetic charm is working. It’s not only the DJ Diesel persona that’s the big draw.

Shaq promoted the NBA at an event and picked up four ‘girlfriends‘ while drawing a commercial pitch for Gillette.

Macau’s post-pandemic sluggish business hit a setback due to the arrival of Typhoon Saola. But the Big Diesel storm was stronger in recovering the losses from the closures. What do you think about the Shaq-impact on an entire economy?

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