Gov’t says no request received for Coloane casinos

Coloane village

Secretary for Economy and Finance Lionel Leong has asserted that authorities have so far received no requests to build new casinos in Coloane. This comes after an inquiry filed by lawmaker Au Kam San which ignited public concern on the over-proliferation of casinos into the neighborhood, which hosts a local population of approximately 60,000.
As stated in the lawmaker’s enquiry, an urban planning blueprint from the Land, Public Works and Transport Bureau disclosed that a project owned by a Hong Kong businessman surnamed “Chiu” included plans for not only residences but also a hotel. A decade ago, the project owner reportedly told media that a private casino would be established on the plot of land that he had acquired in Coloane, but admitted that the local government had not expressed approval of it.
In his questions, Au Kam San also mentioned the Louis XIII hotel resort in Coloane, currently under construction close to the Seac Pai Van garden. The lawmaker wanted to know if the Gaming Inspection Bureau would sanction the developer’s request for gaming tables.
Responding to Au’s enquiry, Leong stressed that the government would evaluate requests based on the scale and location of the project in question, and furthermore whether it could play an active role in promoting the city’s global image as a world travel and leisure destination.
“I completely understand the concerns from society,” said the secretary. “More importantly, it’s still a presumption, because so far we haven’t received any requests from gaming operators about this.”
He also stressed that only gaming operators were allowed to file applications for casino construction.
The secretary failed to directly address the matter of whether the government would be willing to introduce regulations to restrict the casinos geographically. Staff reporter