In mid-April, the Second Standing Committee of the Macau Legislative Assembly (AL) finished discussing the “Amendment to Law No. 16/2001 – Legal Framework for the Exploitation of Games of Chance in Casinos” and returned the text to the government. After waiting for nearly a month, the Legislative Council this week received the revised text from the government.
According to the website of the Macau Legislative Assembly, the Second Standing Committee will discuss the Gaming Law on Friday, with the meeting to be attended by government departments.
Last month, committee chairman Chan Chak Mo said, “I hope the government will return the text as soon as possible, because the committee hopes to return it to the Legislative Assembly for deliberation before 26 June.”
The Gaming Law is arguably the most important bill currently before the AL, as it will set the ground rules for the re-tendering of gaming licenses in the second half of the year as well as the future operations of gaming enterprises for the next concession period, expected to run for precisely one decade from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2032. The government has stated in the past that only after the passage of the Gaming Law will the government be able to start the re-tendering process.
Among the provisions mentioned in the Gaming Law, one of the most talked about issues has been the future of satellite casinos with the revised law stating that satellites must be located within properties owned by a concessionaire. The government has proposed a three-year transition period for satellite casino operators to find a solution although a handful have already signalled their intention to close, including all four satellite casinos run by Golden Dragon Group and the Grand Emperor casino on the Macau peninsula.
