On Oct. 13, former judge Sam Hou Fai was named Macau’s next chief executive. In December he will succeed Ho Iat-Seng, who is stepping down for health reasons.
During his campaign, Sam was critical of Macau’s gaming industry, which reaped gross revenues of MOP183.1 billion (US$22.85 billion) in 2023. He said the sector has “expanded wildly” over the past 20 years and must be reined in. But he later acknowledged that gaming “is Macau’s primary industry” and must “develop healthily,” even as the city works to diversify its economy.
Ieong Meng U, assistant professor with the University of Macau’s department of government and public administration, doesn’t expect Sam to disrupt the casino industry, which is “too important for Macau.”
Political commentator Sonny Lo said the career judge will need a strong cabinet to help him learn the ropes, especially “executive council members who may have more experience in economic and financial development. Sam will be able to govern Macau successfully with a batch of experienced economic advisors.”
Ben Lee, managing partner with consultancy iGamiX, agreed that Sam “is not a politician or administrator. Turning around the Macau bureaucracy to redirect attention towards diversification will be his major challenge.”
