Macau legislators have proposed the government produce and release to the public a detailed “assessment” on how the city’s current six gaming licensees have exercised their respective current concession contracts in the past two decades.
The notion is that creation and issuance of such an assessment should be prior to the scheduled public consultation, due in the second half this year, regarding revision of Macau’s gaming law.
The current six gaming concessions are due to expire in June 2022, unless the authorities grant a form of limited extension as permitted under current Macau gaming law. The government has said Macau’s gaming law needs to be updated as a linked issue to a new public tender.
Legislator Ella Lei Cheng I mentioned the gaming-operator assessment idea after a closed-door Monday meeting at the Legislative Assembly (pictured in a file photo). She is the head of a committee there that has the job of monitoring the city’s public concessions.
“We thought that the government could [issue and] release an assessment on how the gaming companies have exercised their contracts for the past 20 years…so that the public could have a better grasp of information before the consultation [on gaming law revision] takes place,” said Ms Lei.
No details regarding the timetable for updating Macau’s gaming law – nor public policy directions on a new public tender for Macau gaming rights – were mentioned at Monday’s meeting with government officials, according to Ms Lei’s account of the gathering.
The city’s Secretary for Economy and Finance, Lei Wai Nong, and senior officials from Macau’s casino regulator, the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau, also known as DICJ, attended the Monday meeting, according to Ms Lei.
She did say some legislators raised concerns about a “tight” timetable, assuming that public consultations, amendment to the gaming law and tender details were to be dealt with prior to expiry in June 2022 of current Macau gaming concessions.
Ms Lei added that at Monday’s meeting government officials limited themselves to listening to legislators’ opinions on the key topics regarding the future of Macau gaming legislation and licensing, including how the government could introduce requirements on the gaming concessionaires’ commitment in corporate social responsibility, collaboration with local small and medium enterprises and enriching the city’s tourism offerings, as part of the new gaming rights rebidding terms.
