Macau SLOT loses monopoly on instant lottery, sports betting

Jun 09, 2021 Newsdesk Latest News, Macau, Top of the deck  

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The Macau government has refreshed Macau SLOT Co Ltd’s rights to run instant lotteries and betting on football and basketball matches, but on a non-exclusive basis, according to a government dispatch published on Wednesday.

Prior to that renewed legal status, Macau SLOT – the name stands for Sociedade de Lotarias e Apostas Mútuas de Macau Lda – had long held a de facto monopoly on instant lotteries and sports betting in Macau, with the exception of betting on horse racing. In the latter case, the concession is held by Macau Horse Racing Co Ltd, which runs Macau Jockey Club.

Macau SLOT’s refreshed status as a concessionaire running instant lottery and sports betting runs from June 6, 2021, to June 5, 2024. Thereafter, rights can be renewable if agreed between the city’s government and the company, the dispatch stated.

The gross revenue generated by instant lotteries and sports betting has, for years, occupied only a fraction of Macau’s overall gaming income.

In 2020, the gross revenue from instant lotteries and sports betting reached only MOP543 million (US$67.9 million), accounting for only 0.89 percent of the city’s overall annual gross gaming revenue of approximately MOP61.05 billion, according to data from the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau.

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