Police favour Macanese casinos

The Unitary Police Service director said Macanese casinos aren’t required to install facial recognition systems as they’re private places.

Macau.- The Macanese attempt to implement a biometric system to recognise faces at casino entrances is facing a hurdle. According to the Unitary Police Service (SPU) director Ma Io Kunn, the government isn’t allowed to require such a thing as Macanese casinos are private places.

After Mui San Meng, assistant to the Commissioner-General SPU director said authorities may consider allowing the installation of cameras inside casinos. That triggered rumours about potential demands on casinos to upgrade CCTV cameras to include facial recognition technology. However, the SPU director said biometric systems will only be installed in public places.

Casino licence tender

Macau’s Secretary for Economy and Finance, Lionel Leong Vai Tac has revealed that the local government is preparing work that would lead to a public tender process for gaming rights. The tender could take place in 2021, a year before the licenses expire.

The concessions for Macau’s six casino operators expire in 2022. Leong said that the government is taking steps towards a public tender, including legislative ones. He added in a news statement from the Government Information Bureau from Macau that putting the terms of all the gaming concessions in line would benefit the preparation for the public tender. He also said that the government had enough time to prepare itself in order to avoid any negligence and be completely ready once it launches the tender.

Moreover, University of Macau Professor Jorge Godinho told Macau News Agency that the public tender could take place in 2021. “The government announced that the current concessions won’t be further extended. In other words, they will expire in 2022, and therefore we will have a public tender. My guess is that Macau will have a public tender in 2021,” said the professor.