Macau\u2019s\u00a0satellite casino operators claim the government has not given precise indications on the management fees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Macau.- Satellite casinos in Macau have expressed concern about the government’s lack of communication regarding the management fee due from next year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Under Macau\u2019s revised gaming law<\/a>, satellite venues have until December 31, to transition to a management company arrangement, under which they won\u2019t share gaming revenue but will receive a management fee from the concessionaire. However, details on how this will work have yet to be provided.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sam Hou Fai<\/a>, who was sworn in as chief executive of Macau in December, said\u00a0the regulation of the gaming industry<\/a>\u00a0was going to be one of his priorities. However, he has not yet said anything about the future of satellite casinos and has not yet held discussions with operators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A satellite casino operator told Macau Daily News: “Gaming concessionaires are likely taking a wait-and-see approach, waiting for the government to provide updated guidance before making any decisions. The stance of concessionaires on management fees is critical and could determine whether satellite casinos survive or shut down.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before the revision of Macau’s gaming law in 2022, there were 18 satellite casinos in the city. Only 11 have remained, each operating under licence from one of Macau\u2019s six casino concessionaires but run by third parties on individually owned premises.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Statistics and Census Bureau (DSEC)<\/strong>\u00a0has reported that the number of full-time employees in the gaming industry decreased sequentially in the last quarter of 2024, although the decline was smaller than that seen in the hospitality and retail industries. At the end of 2024,\u00a0the gaming industry had 71,600 employees<\/strong>, a decrease of 0.2 per cent in quarter-on-quarter terms. The figure represents around 18.6 per cent of all employees in Macau.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Total employment in Macau fell by 0.3 per cent quarterly to 378,300. The unemployment rate remained stable at 1.7 per cent while the labour participation rate dropped by 0.3 percentage points to 67.7 per cent. Employee numbers in wholesale and retail trade and in hospitality fell by 2.7 per cent and 0.7 per cent respectively to 41,200 and 30,400. Employment in construction fell by 4 per cent and the restaurant industry saw an increase of 0.4 per cent sequentially to 21,600.<\/p>\n\n\n\nNumber of employees in Macau gaming sector falls in Q4<\/h2>\n\n\n\n