Macau’s government has already begun the process of reviewing potential regulations around the upcoming re-tendering process for Macau casino licenses, according to Secretary for Economy and Finance, Lionel Leung.
Leung made the comments to local media over the weekend when asked about the government’s plans, with the gaming concessions of SJM and MGM set to expire in 2020 followed by Sands China, Galaxy, Melco Resorts and Wynn in 2022. The government has previously stated that it would release information about the re-tendering process in the second half of 2018.
Addressing expectations of a vastly different system to the current concession rules, Leung said that since future casino licences would be awarded via a re-bidding process rather than a license renewal, related regulation must be “revised and improved.”
He added that a preliminary plan has been submitted by the technical department and that “internal research is being carried out.”
However, he refused to be drawn into questions regarding the future of any individual concessionaires. Instead, Leung said that the government must listen to the opinions of residents regarding the future of its gaming management and approval, and would implement a “comprehensive analysis.”
It has been suggested that the re-tendering process will see a seventh or possibly even an eighth Macau casino license issued.
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