‘Satellite casino’ still core of debate at parliament

The Standing Committee of the Legislative Assembly (AL) yesterday had their meeting on the amendment bill to the gamling law with government officials present to answer lawmakers’ questions for the first time.

Similar to the AL plenary debuting the amendment and the first two committee meetings without government officials present, yesterday’s meeting revolved around the concept of “satellite casinos.”

A concept absent from the existing law and yet a present reality, “satellite casinos” are those establishments that are not owned, but are only operated by, a license holder. A real example is the casino at the Macau Fisherman’s Wharf, which is owned by the Macau Legend Development Ltd. but operated by the SJM Resorts, S.A.

At the post-meeting press conference, Chan Chak Mo, president of the committee, cited the government as saying that the sub-division is not the only way to resolve the problem of the satellite casino.

Citing the government’s reply, Chan said that if, for example, the area of a satellite casino is one-tenth of that of the entire real property and can be proven by construction diagrams, the subdivision will be able to be registered.

The government also told the committee that it has conducted a site check on satellite casinos, so that it can differentiate between sections identified as satellite casinos and those that are not. Results should be available by the end of the year.

Chan also said the government is concerned with employment issues in such establishments. The government said concessionaires are responsible for their workers in satellite casinos. Those that are not hired by concessionaires will be handled according to the Labor Relations Law.

Chan also disclosed that the committee has received seven opinions, of which three were from concessionaires with the remainder being from citizens, lawyers and academics.

Eleven non-committee members sat in at the meeting yesterday.