Macau’s Secretary for Economy and Finance, Leong Vai Tac, told local reporters last weekend that the government expects its mid-term review of the gaming industry to be completed by the end of this year.
The results would be announced to the public by early next year at the latest, once the government has carefully assessed a preliminary report submitted in September by the Institute for the Study of Commercial Gaming at the University of Macau, said Leong.
The mid-term review aims to examine what has been achieved by the city’s six gaming concessions since the liberalisation of the gaming industry in 2002. The current concessions are due to expire on dates between 2020 and 2022. In addition, the secretary said he was considering candidates for the role of director at the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau. The current director, Manuel Joaquim das Neves, is due to retire at the end of this month. Deputy director Leong Man Ion will lead the bureau in the interim period if no replacement is appointed by the time of Neves’ departure.
Source: Asia Gaming Brief
