Macau gives details on future of satellite casinos

Authorities have provided further details on plans for satellite casinos under the proposed amendments to Macau’s gaming law.

Macau.- Legislator Chan Chak Mo has told local media in Macau that satellite casinos may continue to exist under the proposed new regulatory regime but will receive a three-year grace period to tie ownership of their sites to one of the city’s six franchises.

Chan Chak Mo said the start of that period would coincide with the start date of the city’s new gaming concessions, which will be awarded following a new public tender, which is expected to be held in the last quarter of the year. During the period, satellite casino owners must sell their ownership of the land-based casino to one of the then-existing gaming franchisees under a so-called strata title basis.

However, Chan Chak Mo said: “If the satellite gaming space occupies one-tenth of the whole building’s floor area, then, as long as this one-tenth part can be illustrated with the relevant construction plan, a gaming concessionaire is only required to acquire the gaming space, instead of the whole building that houses it.”

There are currently 18 satellite casinos in Macau operating under a licence attached to one of the concessionaires, but which are run by third parties in individually owned premises.

Earlier this week, Macau confirmed the extension of the current gaming concessions and sub-concessions for six months. New 10-year franchises following the tender are expected to begin at the start of 2023.