Macau casinos yet to apply for 5% levy exemption
According to Macau’s secretary for economy and finance, casino operators have not yet sought the exemption.
Macau.- Lei Wai Nong, Macau’s secretary for economy and finance, has revealed no casino operator has yet asked for the exemption on a 5 per cent levy on gross gaming revenue from their gaming areas for foreign customers. All casino concessionaires have set up special areas after Macau introduced the incentive.
The measure had been announced by the government to encourage operators to attract customers from jurisdictions other than mainland China, Hong Kong or Taiwan. Lei stressed that if the gaming concessionaires apply for the exemption, the government will examine the revenue generated and will not grant exemptions without proper verification.
He highlighted the government’s commitment to encouraging concessionaires to offer high-quality services and to enhance the international competitiveness of the industry. However, despite efforts to attract overseas tourists, numbers remain small. Mainland China accounted for nearly 65.4 per cent of all visitor arrivals in the first quarter of 2023 with 3.24 million tourists. In April, 1.39 million of Macau’s 2.29 million visitors were from China.
