Inside Asian Gaming

INSIDE ASIAN GAMING | December 2009 6 M acau has a long and eventful history stretching back more than four centuries. Few decades, however, can have been more momentous than the one marking the transition from Portuguese administration to explosive growth in the local casino industry. Not only the skyline, but also the mood of Macau has been transformed since the day, in December 1999, when Macau’s newly appointed Chief Executive Edmund Ho announced plans to invite the world to invest in local gaming. The fact his announcement came only one day after his inauguration speaks volumes about the government’s commitment to the casino industry. It also speaks volumes about the administration’s determination to create fresh value for the local economy by ensuring Macau realised its potential as a truly world class tourism destination. As Edmund Ho steps down at the end of December, hewill nodoubt have amental list of things hewanted todobut simply couldn’t complete, even after a decade in the top job. Inside Asian Gaming hasn’t always been an uncritical cheerleader of the administration, but we recognise his goodwill and sincerity in seeking to steer Macau steadily though some of the most challenging and exciting years in the territory’s history. We wish his successor, Chui Sai On, the same steady hand and the same good fortune. Here then is a snapshot of the changes the Macau casino industry has witnessed in the lifetime of the Macau Special administrative Region. 1999 December – One day after the establishment of the Macau SAR on the 20th, thenewlyappointedChief Executive Edmund Ho announces plans to invite international casino operators to tender for licences in Macau. Edmund Ho Inside Asian Gaming looks back at an action-packed decade in the history of Macau casino gaming