Does Jose Mourinho have what it takes to be the Special One for Paradise Co?
The answer to that question is something the South Korean casino operator is banking on after signing the outspoken manager of English football giants Chelsea as its new brand ambassador.
Paradise’s signing is intended to lure Chinese gamblers to South Korea, specifically to the coastal city of Incheon where it is building a $1.7 bullion resort casino with Japanese gaming giant Sega Sammy Holdings Inc. The resort isn’t scheduled to be completed until 2017, but you can never start too early, right? Besides, Paradise has a history of relying on famous celebrities to be brand ambassadors, including Hollywood heavyweight Robert De Niro.
Mourinho has become a pretty famous personality among Chinese sports bettors for his work managing some of the world’s top football teams, including Chelsea and Real Madrid. Having Mourinho on board could give Paradise a publicity advantage over rivals Genting Singapore and Caesars Entertainment, each of whom are also building their own resorts in South Korea.
Paradise hopes Mourinho will help them poach Chinese high rollers from the friendly confines of Macau. “The growing interest in football in China, and the fact that a significant number of casino customers are Chinese, was the main reason behind naming Mourinho as the model,” the company said in a statement.
The company didn’t announce how much Mourinho was paid to have his name attached to the Paradise-Sega casino project, but if it achieves it’s intended goal of attracting 160,000 visitors a day, then it’s going to count as money well-spent.
