CE plays down VIP room closures

Chui Sai On

Lionel Leong

Chief Executive Chui Sai On said that it is “normal” to see adjustments in the number of VIP rooms in Macau following a slump in gaming revenue in recent months. However, he refused to comment on the rumors regarding the issuing of a seventh gaming license by the MSAR government.
The CE made the comment during a press conference yesterday before he headed to Beijing to meet with mainland authorities. He said that the gaming industry in Macau has been developing rapidly since 2003. Therefore, he said that it is normal to see the current changes to the number of VIP rooms. “There are many rumors [regarding the number of VIP rooms that will close]. But, of course, I will only trust Secretary Lionel Leong. He has already given me the data that the government has received and published. I believe that it is normal to have changes or adjustments to the number [of VIP rooms] in the future,” he said.
Moreover, Chui Sai On was asked about the prediction made by two analyst firms recently that the Macau government may grant a seventh gaming concession to a local Chinese enterprise. He did not answer the question directly, and only said that there are always academic and research institutes, as well as consultants, that pay attention to the development of Macau’s gaming industry. Therefore, it is difficult to comment on every report. He also reiterated that the task for the government now is to prepare for the review on the gaming industry.
The CE also suggested that close attention be paid to the development of the Guangdong-Macau Free Trade Zone, and revealed that he will be visiting Guangdong with Lionel Leong and another Secretary, Raimundo Rosario, in the future.
During his trip to Beijing, Chui Sai On will be visiting the Chinese State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Ministry of Commerce to discuss the development of the Guangdong-­Macau Traditional Chinese Medicine Technology Industrial Park in Hengqin, as well as trade liberalization. JPL