Public consultation on gaming law to be launched in H2, DICJ confirms

The government is laying the groundwork for the renewal bidding process of gaming concessions, as the public consultation over the proposed amendments to gaming legislation will commence in the second half of this year, Adriano Marques Ho, director of the Gaming Inspection, and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) confirmed.
In an earlier query, lawmaker Ho Ion Sang questioned DICJ over whether the the bureau’s authorities would consider incorporating a new gaming law to better regulate corporate social responsibilities and non-gaming efforts of Macau’s casino operators. The move, he explained, is to ensure the economic benefits received by the casinos can trickle down to local society.
In response, director of DICJ, Ho, stated in a written reply that the SAR government will evaluate the feasibility of this suggestion after listening to public opinions from all walks of life through the upcoming consultation sessions.
He urged casino conglomerates to forge a closer partnership with local small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs), to source the products of SMEs, and allow these businesses to set up premises in the casino properties.
The objective of such a request is to generate interlinked, mutual economic benefits for both casino operators and SMEs. The head of DICJ said the casinos should take the leading role to steer local SMEs towards a growth trajectory.
The DICJ has been monitoring the data provided by casino operators to ensure they have tied in with SMEs as suggested.
Macau’s six gaming concessions and sub-concessions are due on June 26, 2022.
Last year, Macau’s Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng made clear in his 2021 Policy Address that the endeavor to amend the current gaming law is one of the nine legislations he is stringing to uplift under his tenure. At the time, Ho promised that he would employ a public consultation to make the most appropriate modifications to the city’s gaming law.
The anticipated public consultation was originally scheduled to take place last year but was postponed to the second half of 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The long-overdue consultation raises some thorny questions in society, with many questioning if there will be enough time for the government to analyze public suggestions and compose a summary report as well as amend the relevant law by the end of this year.
Lawmaker Ho Ion Sang also said he remains doubtful as to whether the draft legislation can be submitted to the Legislative Assembly this year.