Macau gaming enterprises, including a number of junket brands and at least four casino licensees, have separately received recognition from the Chinese central government for their respective assistance to the nation during the Covid-19 crisis.
Some of the gaming-related businesses issued press releases and respective photographs showing their executives posing with officials of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao Special Administrative Region, Beijing’s representative office in the city. The statements also thanked the central and Macau governments for their work toward containing Covid-19.
Among the entities issuing a statement was Suncity Group, widely regarded by investment analysts as the largest brand – under regular trading conditions – for facilitating Macau VIP gambling as judged by rolling chip volume.
The brand’s press release said Suncity representatives had attended the Liaison Office on Tuesday. There, according to Suncity, they were met by officials including deputy director Yao Jian.
Suncity stated that its boss, Alvin Chau Cheok Wa, had said Suncity Group was a “Macau enterprise dedicated to charity and community affairs,” and that as such, “patriotism is part of Suncity Group’s core value”.
Other junket firms recognised by their efforts included Tak Chun Group and Guangdong Group.
According to separate announcements of three Macau casino operators, Liaison Office officials had visited company premises for their exchanges.
Macau casino licensee Melco Resorts and Entertainment Ltd said in its statement that the Liaison Office’s Mr Yao had “conveyed appreciation for the company’s contributions not only to Wuhan but also for its efforts in assisting Macau’s local associations and the community.” The first part was a reference to the capital of the mainland’s Hubei province, the centre of the Covid-19 outbreak in China.
Macau operator MGM China Holdings Ltd said in its release that Mr Yao had “recognised MGM’s anti-pandemic efforts in the past few months”.
Sands China Ltd, another licensee, said Mr Yao had “acknowledged the contributions made by Sands China amid the Covid-19 pandemic, and praised the company for its support of relief efforts in mainland China and Macau”.
The Liaison Office also praised the contributions from another of the city’s operators, Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd, namely for fulfilling its corporate social responsibilities, according to a statement.
The timing of all the press releases comes as Macau continues to labour under travel restrictions and depressed tourism, at a time when neighbouring casino markets are in some cases trying to ramp up their business.
During normal trading times, mainland Chinese are a key consumer target group for many of the regional resorts.
