Macau’s government plans to ban all stand-alone machine gaming venues and betting outlets not located inside casinos.
Secretary for Economy and Finance Francis Tam didn’t give a timetable for implementation but indicated it would be tied to negotiations on the renewal of the six casino concessions beginning in 2015 onwards.
He did, however, say that more than half of the existing slot parlors and betting centers would be closed before the end of this year.
The goal is to “reduce the negative impact of gaming in the neighborhood areas,” he said.
A November 2012 regulation declared slot parlors had to be barred from residential buildings and had to be within 500 meters of an existing casino. Five parlors closed last November after a year-long grace period expired. Five out of 11 sports books and Chinese lottery outlets not located in casinos also were closed last year, Tam said.
