Any satellite casinos that close their doors due to amendments currently under discussion within Macau’s Legislative Assembly will not be permitted to reopen, the government has revealed. However, in such instances the associated concessionaire must carry forward the employment of all dealers working for the satellite casino “unconditionally”.
At the Macau Legislative Assembly plenary session on Monday 30 May, some members questioned Secretary for Economy and Finance Lei Wai Nong further on this issue. He replied that if a satellite casino is closed, “I don’t think they can reopen again.”
Amid concerns raised by council members was one from Ella Lei Cheng I on the impact satellite casino closures will have on local employment. This prompted Legislator Leong Sun Iok to reference recent media reports suggesting that a number of satellite casinos had already announced plans to close down by the end of June, asking whether the government has any plan to respond.
Lei said the government wants the gaming industry to develop in a stable manner with healthier management conditions, and that the Gaming Law was being amended in the hope of achieving a “win-win” situation for all.
However, he explained that the government will not interfere with any decisions to close satellite casinos.
“Of course, the government does not want them to close, but if they do, I don’t think they can reopen again,” he confirmed.
The government will not be involved in the closure of the casinos, Lei added, but concessionaires will be required to take over the employment of all dealers unconditionally, which is the government’s “position and principle”.
While the government will help local people to find jobs, the Secretary stressed that it will not cut down on foreign employees across the board.
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