Severo Portela
It is often hard to explain to gambling “Impresarios” that the game has changed for good… in such a definitive way they have to adapt themselves to the new reality…for good. Casino business is not facing the contingent ups and downs of luck, much less surfing the waves of ever growing money. In a way, we can understand how difficult it is for the diehard gaming operatives to absorb the new reality. The gambling mentality tells them that an unbelievable run of luck can come again, and again. Let us say that these optimists see the glass half full.
What we find harder to swallow is this self-inflicted blindness affecting social, political, regulatory and relevant business people outside the industry circle. They took good notice of Li Gang words to implement measures to “revitalize the Region´s continuously sluggish economy”… but at the same time they tended to ignore the words of the utmost importance Li Gang added to explain the causes of the sluggish economy, or rather “the enduring casino economic woes”.
Actually, besides the allocation of clearer jurisdiction over MSAR surrounding waters, Li Gang pointed to other policies, highlighting the ones to address “the gaming industry, the mainstay of the Region´s economy”. However, Beijing’s representative used careful and explicit wording in order to explain the troubles in the casino industry: general economic slowdown and the strengthened supervision of UnionPay, thus downplaying the impact of the anti-graft crackdown.
No “double entendre” coming from Li Gang’s assessment. Macau has now all the arguments to view the glass as half empty, putting aside the cynics who wonder who drank the other half.
In this scenario of the resolute mainland China drive against corruption, the arrest of Macau developer Ng Lap Seng, in New York, on grounds of alleged illegal cash dealings, later upgraded to corruption at the highest level in the United Nations happens at the worst of times.
Macau is taking steps to improve gambling industry practices, and Ng is no stranger to the business. According to the Wall Street Journal, he has a stake in the Fortuna Casino and last year he was summoned to answer questions before a grand jury in Nevada. He failed to comply with the request.
However, the detention of Ng seems to be a case of slow cooking. First of all, the allegedly illegal cash dealings (around USD25 million) that took him to a Federal Court could have begun in 2010, involving somebody who was not unfamiliar to the American investigators. His name also appeared in the Clinton ‘donorgate’ scandal. Secondly, as the probe unrolls, the narrative seems to belong to a political thriller, but better than fiction.
Ng Lap Seng, who is a Chinese People´s Political Consultative Conference member, allegedly bribed UN top officials to grant support to build, under the auspices of the United Nations, a multi-billion dollar project in Macau: a conference centre.
As we’ve said, this is part of a slow cooking process. The New York prosecutor admitted that his investigative team “only scratched the surface”.
Final note: Disgraced former HK Chief Executive, Donald Tsang, ended his term in June 2012. Then, he admitted to have accepted gifts. Now, three years later, a few days ago, ICAC finally charged him with misconduct in public office. It looks like slow cooking.
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