Macau to hold consultation session with legislators over future gaming concessions

Authorities will collect opinions from members of the AL Land and Public Concessions Follow-up Committee, which among 10 members includes Davis Fong Ka Chio, a Chief Executive appointed legislator who is also the Director of the University of Macau Institute for the Study of Commercial Gaming.

Although the gaming concessions for the current three concessionaires and sub-concessionaires are set to expire in 2022, not many details have been revealed by authorities so far on the intended revisions to the gaming law or on the future process that will award new concessions and possible add new licenses in the sector.

Secretary for Economy and Finance Lei Wai Nong had already in March that public consultation on the gaming law revision that will determine the future gaming license concessions will take place in the second half of this year.

The 2021 Policy Address document revealed that that the draft of the revised gaming law could be submitted to the AL by the last quarter of this year, depending on when the public consultation process is initiated.

Brokerage Morgan Stanley had previously estimated that it would be necessary for the public consultation to be completed and the new gaming law approved by the AL before the third quarter of 2021, for an open bid for the gaming licenses to still be carried out before 2022.

Analysts have also posited that the current six gaming concessions and sub-concessions could be extended beyond 2022 by at least three years due to the pandemic disruption, with Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng having noted that all options were on the table.