Ho believes six gaming licences are enough for Macau

Lawrence Ho said that there is no need for more than six licence holders in Macau after the current gaming concessions expire.

Macau.- Chairman and Chief Executive of Macau casino license holder Melco Resorts and Entertainment Ltd, Lawrence Ho, stated on the sidelines of an event on Monday that there is no need for more than six licensees in Macau after the current gaming concessions expire in 2020 or 2022.

“It’s really up to the [Macau] government… I would support… [the status quo] because at the end of the day, the six concessionaires have done quite a lot over the last 15 years. I think [it depends]… on what the Chinese government wants. They do want more growth in non-gaming rather than gaming. So it doesn’t make that much sense to have more [casino] licences,” he said.

Ho also said that he’s confident that Melco Resorts will re-obtain a gaming license after 2022, when the company’s current concession expires. “Melco [Resorts] has always done, from a diversification or a non-gaming standpoint – in my opinion – more than most of our competitors. So, we are very confident on that basis that we listened to the Macau government 10 years ago in terms of what they wanted. So, I think we want to… continue to be good partners.”