With a year to go before Macau undertakes the retender of its casino concessions, the government has proposed doubling the number of gaming inspectors and reorganizing several regulatory departments.
According to Reuters, Macau’s Executive Council suggested the changes to keep pace with growth in the gaming industry. It recommended increasing the inspection staff from 192 to 459, with the number increasing gradually on an as-needed basis. Other changes include the addition of a deputy director under Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau Director Adriano Marques Ho.
In addition, the Games of Fortune Inspection Department and the Mutual Bets Inspection Department will both be folded into the Games Inspection Department, which in turn will be divided into three divisions: a Research Department, a Department of Installations and Information Technology and a Legal and Licensing Department.
Macau’s casino industry has seen explosive growth since it was liberalized in 2002. The DICJ now oversees 41 casinos in the territory, compared with just 17 in 2005 as the concessionaires have expanded.
Further expansion may well be dictated by the terms of the concession renewals and whether the government allows newcomers into the market. The concessions expire in June of next year and the government still needs to publish its draft law, which will have to be submitted for public consultation before approval.
According to a special report in Macau Business, many legal and gaming experts now believe it’s only a matter of time before the government announces that it will extend the current six concessions for a further two years to give it the necessary time.
The pandemic is likely to be the explanation for the delay, it says.
the executive council that advises Macau’s chief executive announced proposals to boost the number of inspectors to 459 from 192 now, as well as creating a new director-level post at the regulator.
The regulations will take effect once published in the city’s official gazette, the council said on Friday in a statement on the government’s website, with local media saying it was likely to be within a few weeks.
The change comes just months before the expiry of multi-billion-dollar casino licenses that will require operators Sands China, Wynn Macau, MGM China, SJM Holdings, Melco Resorts and Galaxy Entertainment to rebid for new gaming concessions.
Beijing has also intensified a war on cross border flows of funds for gambling, affecting the financing channels of Macau’s junket operators and their VIP casino customers. Macau has struggled with a dearth of travelers because of coronavirus curbs since the start of 2020. While gambling revenues have picked up in recent months, they are less than half the 2019 figure.
