Macau’s Secretary for Economy and Finance Lionel Leong Vai Tac said in a Thursday statement that no application for a casino on the island of Coloane has been submitted to the city Gaming Inspection and Co-ordination Bureau by any gambling operator.
Mr. Leong also reiterated that such applications could be filed only by casino concessionaires and not by hotel ones. Yet, according to him, the current laws do not prohibit the launch of a gambling venue on the territory of the island in any way.
Mr. Leong’s comments came after Macau legislator Au Kam San asked the government as to whether it approves of the construction of a casino in Coloane, “the last piece of green ecological zone in Macau.”
The city’s Secretary for Economy and Finance emphasized that only the six gambling operators that are currently providing their services in Macau can propose the opening of new venues and request the addition of casino tables.
The official also pointed out that if a casino application is submitted, the city gaming regulator would pay attention to several aspects when assessing the proposal. The project’s location and scope of development will be among the factors that would influence the Gaming Inspection and Co-ordination Bureau’s decision most. Furthermore, any casino bidder would need to present a plan that would help Macau turn into the world’s most popular leisure and tourism destination.
It seems that the $1.1-billion project for the construction of an integrated resort on the Cotai-Coloane border proposed by Hong Kong-listed Louis XIII Holdings Ltd. is the closest casino the latter territory is to have or at least for now.
Previously, the company said that it was interested in adding 66 gaming tables – 55 for mass market players and 16 for VIPs. However, no information has been revealed about which of the six gambling operators it would choose to run its casino operations.
Mr. Leong also confirmed in his statement that gaming officials are not planning to change the current cap on the number of live gaming tables that are featured at Macau’s gaming facilities. The cap in question was imposed by the government in an attempt to limit the addition of new live dealer tables to 3% compound annual growth up until the end of 2022. The Gaming Inspection and Co-ordination Bureau recorded as many as 5,485 tables in the end of 2012.
