Macau casinos reportedly told to scrap free food and drinks

The decision would be intended to boost local businesses.

Macau.- It has been reported that the Gaming Inspection and Co-ordination Bureau (DICJ) may have ordered casinos to stop offering complimentary food and beverages. The order would be a response to complaints from local business associations, who said the provision of free food at casinos negatively impacted small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by reducing tourist spending.

We don’t know for sure if or when the order came into force. Morgan Stanley analysts Praveen K Choudhary and Gareth Leung have said free beverages are still widely available but that access to complimentary snacks now often requires a membership card with at least one point to indicate that the visitor has gambled.

They said they believed the change will have minimal impact on gross gaming revenue (GGR) but may affect overall footfall, as non-gamblers might be deterred. Cheng Wai Tong, deputy director of the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) noted that non-gaming spending per visitor has increased compared to pre-pandemic levels.

See also: Macau GGR to dip in June, analysts say

Last year, Macau received 28.23 million, 71 per cent of the 2019 pre-pandemic levels (39.4 million). Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, the director of the MGTO said she is confident the city will reach the goal of 33 million visitors this year.