The Macao Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng issued an executive order today announcing that the maximum number of total gaming tables and slot machines across all future gaming operators will be capped at 6,000 and 12,000 respectively.
In another executive order also published today, Ho announced that the gross annual revenue per gaming table will be MOP 7 million while the gross annual revenue per slot machine will be MOP 300,000.
Both of these caps will be applicable from 1 January 2023 for the six new gaming concessioners, whose proposals must be submitted by 14 September. This is the first time the government has set an official cap on both the number of gaming tables and income.
According to data from the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau, in the second quarter of this year, the six operators operated a total of 6,006 gaming tables and 12,042 slot machines.
In 2019 – prior to the Covid-19 pandemic – the number of gaming tables stood at 6,739 while the number of slot machines were 17,009.
According to article 20 of the Gaming Law, “if the average gross revenue from gaming tables or slot machines does not reach the minimum limit of [gross revenue] set in this executive order, the concessionaire must pay a special premium which corresponds to the difference between the average gaming revenue of the concessionaires’ gaming tables or machines and the lower limit”.
