Public tender rules this month, licenses attributed in December

The rules that will regulate the new public tender for the future gaming concessions are likely to be published this month, TDM Radio reported yesterday.

According to the report, the media outlet has learned that the tender regulations that were being prepared by the government are nearing completion and will be published this month so the international tender can be launched.

As commonly happens, the publishing of the rules anticipates the launch of the tender setting the details, and documentation, and defining the timing for the submission of the proposals by the contenders.

The news comes after reports of talks between the government and the current gaming operators at the time of the signing of the extension of the current licenses up to December 31 this year.

According to the same source, in such talks, progress was made as part of the process, which should be fully concluded before the celebration of the anniversary of Macau’s handover, on December 20 this year.

As the Chief Executive, Ho Iat Seng, also said during a special press conference held on June 23 – the same day that the extension of the contracts was inked with the gaming concessionaires – this will be the last extension of the current licenses, reaffirming that from January 1, 2023, the new gaming concessions will enter into force.

The regulations for the tender will follow the new gaming law, which was unanimously approved by all lawmakers on its final reading at the Legislative Assembly on June 21.

The tender regulation soon to be published will also contain all the criteria that the tender jury will take into account to evaluate the bids submitted.

As the government already announced, there will a maximum of six gaming concessionaires to be granted and no sub-concessions will be allowed in this tender.

Citing anonymous sources familiar with the process, TDM Radio said that although the current pandemic outbreak could cause some delay to this process, the rulebook should still be ready to be officially announced in a press conference from the Executive Council and then published before the end of the month.

After the publication of the rules, the process will be followed by the official launch of the tender, which will include the appointment of a group of experts with the role of evaluating all the bids, which, according to the same media outlet, should happen in August this year. The deadline for the submission of bids is likely to be extended until September, allowing some three months for the consequent procedures before the final concessions are officially announced and the final contracts with the government are signed.