Author: Nadia Shaw, MDT
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Businesses support outdoor smoking ban, e-cigarette crackdown
Local representatives from the business and tourism sectors voiced broad support Sunday for expanding outdoor smoking bans and prohibiting e-cigarette possession during the first public consultation ... -
SSM proposes tougher tobacco controls and e-cigarette bans
The Health Bureau (SSM) announced on Friday five key proposals to strengthen the Smoking Prevention and Control Law, including banning possession of e-cigarettes in public places ... -
SJM posts HKD429M loss in 2025 as satellite casino closures weigh on revenue
SJM Holdings Limited reported a HKD429 million net loss for 2025, a stark turnaround from a HKD3 million profit the prior year, as the casino operator ... -
Sam Hou Fai vows alignment with national plans
The Premier of the People’s Republic of China, Li Qiang, outlined support for Hong Kong and Macau’s prosperity under ‘One country, two systems’ during the National ... -
Macau Literary Festival opens with focused on intercultural dialogue
The 15th Macau Literary Festival, also known as The Script Road, opened Thursday at Casa Garden, bringing together literature, cinema, theater, music, and visual arts under ... -
JLL: Macau rents set to stabilize in 2026
Macau’s commercial and housing rents are poised to stabilize in 2026, even as commercial property prices continue to decline, according to JLL’s “Macau Property Market Review ... -
CNY rush spurs call for seasonal buses next holiday
Opinion leaders from the tourism and community sectors declared the 2026 Lunar New Year Golden Week a success on public broadcaster TDM’s Macau Forum Wednesday, citing ... -
US-Iran tensions raise concerns over Macau’s gaming, tourism outlook
Escalating U.S.-Iran tensions are raising fears of oil supply disruptions that could squeeze Macau’s gaming and tourism sectors, local experts warn. Carlos Cid Álvares, executive vice ... -
Gaming revenues forecast to surge up to 13% in March
Analysts project Macau’s gross gaming revenues to grow between 10% and 13% in March, building on a strong February finish supported by Chinese New Year travel. ... -
Uber targets Chinese tourists with Wechat mini-app as Macau market returns
Uber is seeing strong user uptake from Chinese tourists through its WeChat mini-app, with activity particularly strong during the recent Lunar New Year travel period, according ... -
Mainland suspects held in RMB7.3 million fraud, currency dispute
The Judiciary Police arrested two men from mainland China on Monday in separate fraud cases, including one involving a RMB7.3 million high-investment scam and the other ... -
Galaxy posts 33% growth in full-year earnings
Galaxy Entertainment Group (GEG) reported its 2025 full-year results yesterday, with adjusted EBITDA rising 19% to HKD14.5 billion (USD1.86 billion) and net profit attributable to shareholders ... -
Bian Lixin greeted as new Chinese foreign affairs commissioner in Macau
Bian Lixin was welcomed yesterday as the eighth commissioner of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs office in the Macao Special Administrative Region. The welcome ceremony, held ... -
Holiday arrival growth strengthens tourism outlook, industry says
China Travel Service (Macao) Limited chairman Zhang Jianzhong said the surge in visitor arrivals during the Spring Festival holiday has boosted industry confidence amid strong tourism ... -
Europe, China offer value as US risks rise: Syncicap
Jean-Marie Mercadal, CEO of Syncicap Asset Management, urged investors to diversify beyond U.S. equities, warning of heightened market volatility in 2026 driven by artificial intelligence ... -
Generative AI: playground, power tool or pandora’s box?
Like most, I’ve tinkered with ChatGPT, Perplexity, DeepSeek and other AI agents, prompting them to draft emails, brainstorm ideas, offer opposing views and simulate dialogues. But ... -
Council approves labor review including pay caps, maternity leave
The Permanent Council for Social Dialogue approved its 2026 work plan yesterday, which includes reviews of severance pay caps, maternity and vacation leave rules, and workplace ... -
Nearly 56,000 residents insured under GBA subsidy program
Nearly 56,000 Macau residents have enrolled in a health insurance subsidy program across nine Greater Bay Area cities as of December 31, according to government data. ... -
Citi sees modest February GGR growth on strong CNY play
Citigroup forecasts February gross gaming revenue at MOP20 billion, up 1% year-on-year, fueled by a 17% surge in Chinese New Year wagers, according to its latest ... -
Live poker footprint narrows as Wynn closes Texas Hold’em room
Macau’s live poker landscape recently took another hit with Wynn Macau’s quiet closure of its dedicated Texas Hold’em room. The room was reportedly vacant in late ... -
Mass market lags despite 24% January GGR rise: Analyst
Casinos in Macau posted gross gaming revenue of MOP22.63 billion (USD2.82 billion) in January, up 24% from MOP18.25 billion a year earlier, yet the mass-market segment ... -
Public input sought on LRT expansion plans
Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai has called on residents to provide feedback on the city’s Light Rapid Transit development strategy, saying public views will be an ... -
Culture and parades
The Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) and integrated resorts have organized a full calendar of events for the Year of the Horse. Lunar New Year celebrations ... -
Six new five-star properties debut on Forbes Travel Guide
Macau earned 72 five-star ratings across hotels, restaurants, and spas, and 15 four-star honors, according to the 2026 Forbes Travel Guide (FTG). Several newcomers from Wynn, ... -
Luxury Capella hotel debuts at Galaxy Macau
Galaxy Macau unveiled its 17-story all-suites Capella at Galaxy Macau yesterday afternoon, adding a ninth name to the luxury resort’s ‘house of brands’. Capella at Galaxy ... -
Two streets to be pedestrianized during major holidays
Starting this year, two Macau streets will become pedestrianized during key holidays like Lunar New Year, May Day, and National Day, authorities announced yesterday. The pedestrianization ... -
Fitch upgrades LVS rating on Singapore strength, expects Macau rebound
Fitch Ratings has upgraded Las Vegas Sands Corp. and its subsidiaries’ issuer default ratings to “BBB” from a lower tier, citing strong performance in Singapore and ... -
Bridges, rails, and runways: Guangdong’s infrastructure push drives economy
Driven by massive infrastructure developments under the 13th (2016–2020), 14th (2021–2025), and emerging 15th Five-Year Plans, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA) has fused Guangdong’s ... -
Trading halts briefly after MGM China results slip early
MGM Resorts International ‘inadvertently’ disclosed preliminary fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 financial results for its Macau subsidiary, MGM China Holdings Ltd, a week early, revealing a 21.4% ... -
Galeries Lafayette quietly leaves after 2 years
YOHO Mall’s flagship retailer, Galeries Lafayette, has quietly closed its doors sometime last week, the Times learned. Following the closure of the high-end commercial space, YOHO ... -
No hotels outside of Cotai were built in 2025
A single hotel project in Cotai has concluded construction in 2025, according to data released by the Land and Public Works Bureau (DSSCU), while three additional ... -
PJ cracks down on illegal currency exchanges ahead of CNY
The Judiciary Police (PJ) intercepted four illegal currency exchange operations on Monday, seizing more than HKD400,000 in cash and chips from a Cotai hotel jewelry shop ... -
Guangdong braces for a record 1.2 billion passenger trips during Lunar New Year
Guangdong’s cross-regional passenger trips during this year’s 40-day Spring Festival travel rush are projected to hit a record 1.159 billion trips, up 4.24% from 2025, the ... -
Jetfoil Madeira to be scrapped after 50 years of service
The Jetfoil Conservation Concern Group announced yesterday that the “Madeira,” the first Hong Kong-Macau Jetfoil to enter commercial service in 1975, has been relocated to its ... -
January GGR Posts 24% Surge
Casinos generated MOP22.6 billion (USD2.8 billion) in gross gaming revenue (GGR) last month. This is the second time since the pandemic that records have hit a ...
