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Macau to sign licensing agreements with the 6 winning casino operators on Friday, source says

  • The city’s six incumbent casino operators were awarded licences that run from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2033
  • The six operators are likely to invest a total of HK$100 billion (US$12.8 billion) over the next 10 years on non-gaming elements, according to a Credit Suisse note

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Macau’s casino operators are set to rake in the lowest revenue on record this year because of Covid-19 restrictions imposed by the city. Photo: Getty Images
Salina Li
Macau’s government will sign contracts with the six winning casino concessionaires on Friday, according to a source.
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Last month, MGM Grand Paradise, Galaxy Casino, Venetian Macau, Melco Resorts Macau, Wynn Resorts Macau and SJM Resorts were awarded 10-year licences that run from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2033.

The announcement wrapped up a year-long jostling for the rights to operate gambling halls in the only place on Chinese soil where casinos are legal. The bidding process, which kicked off in July after the largest overhaul of Macau’s gambling laws in decades, saw a surprise in September when Malaysia’s gambling tycoon Lim Kok Thay unexpectedly threw his hat into the ring, becoming the seventh bidder for the six licences.

The top executives of each of the six concessionaires will attend a press conference scheduled for Saturday, where further details about their respective investment plans for the next 10 years could be disclosed, said the source close to a winning casino operator.

Visitors try their luck on slot machines at a casino in Macau. Photo: AFP
Visitors try their luck on slot machines at a casino in Macau. Photo: AFP

The casino operators did not reply to requests for comment from the Post.

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The casinos were selected based on a scoring system. While the nature of the evaluation was not released, analysts pointed to stable employment, global exposure, and non-gaming commitment as deciding factors, which put MGM China on top and Genting Group at the bottom.

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