Macau’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau has announced a ban on proxy voting at VIP tables through mobile phones.
The regulator told GGRAsia that as of today VIP operations will only accept bets from gamblers who are physically present on the premises. The move is being seen as a new blow to a VIP sector that has been besieged in recent years by Beijing’s anti-corruption policy, which has resulted in large numbers of mainland VIP gamers avoiding travel to Macau.
The announcement was foreshadowed by hints of the policy change last week from Wynn Macau chairman Steve Wynn and the chief executive of MGM China, Grant Bowie. In separate conference calls last Thursday, the two gaming executives told analysts that the move was likely to be on the way.
During a call with MGM investors, Grant Bowie said: “On proxy betting, I think it seems there is going to be a government announcement in the next few days to clarify the situation.
“Whatever happens in the notion of proxy, it will probably be yet another continuation of pressure for the junkets themselves, but it probably is not going to be that significant for any of the casino operators, certainly not that significant for us.” Wynn representatives agreed that the exposure of the new arrangement would have an “insignificant
