Macau, the only place in China where casino gambling is legal, experienced the worst outbreak of covid-19 since the beginning of the pandemic in June and July, which led the authorities to decree a state of immediate prevention and partial confinement, which determined the closure of casinos for almost two weeks.
According to figures from the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Department (DICJ), in the first seven months of 2022, casinos collected 3.2 billion euros, 53.6% less than in same period last year.
Concessionaires in Macau have been accumulating unprecedented losses since 2020 and the Government has been forced to resort to the extraordinary reserve to respond to the crisis, not least because about 80% of government revenue comes from gambling taxes.
Last Friday (29), the Macau Government launched a public tender for the award of six licenses to operate casino games, with a maximum term of ten years.
One of the points that will be valued by the bidding committee is the “plans aimed at expanding markets for customers in foreign countries.”
Each of the competitors will have to pay a deposit of at least 1.22 million euros.
Three concessionaires operate in the territory, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, founded by the magnate Stanley Ho, Galaxy, Wynn, and three sub-concessionaires, MGM, Venetian and Melco.
Source: Lusa
