CLAIMS TO FAME
- Oversees Macau’s only licensed sports betting operator
It’s now four years since the Macau government removed the exclusivity clause from Macau Slot’s sports betting concession, although there have been no moves by any external operators since to enter the market.
That’s because Macau sports betting remains restricted to football and basketball betting only, alongside other requirements around the location of betting shops and related online wagering. But that’s good news for Macau Slot and its long-time CEO Stephen Ho, with the business continuing to tick along at a steady rate.According to information published in the Official Gazette in June, Macau Slot reported profit of MOP$130 million (US$16.1 million) in 2024, up 5.5% over the previous year, while its concession was also extended for 12 months until June 2026.
That extension came after the government revealed previously that it had held meetings with Macau Slot where it indicated that one of the conditions for renewing the concession with Macau Slot was that the company prioritize local employment and formulate a specific plan to reduce the quota of foreign workers. An unusual request for a company whose employees are almost entirely locals anyway.
Founded in the mid-1980s under Stanley Ho’s STDM gambling empire, Macau Slot was granted Macau’s only franchise to accept betting on football in 1998, adding basketball two years later. In 2002, when the Macau SAR Government was handing out concessions to casino operators, Macau Slot became the holder of Macau’s only sports betting concession – a monopoly concession it has effectively held until today.
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