Citigroup has released its latest forecast on Macau’s gambling industry with optimism the order of the day. The investment bank predict that gross gaming revenue will hit MOP25billion in November – an increase from their previous prediction of MOP24.5bn. it’s an impressive rise compared with November 2011 when casino tool MOP23.1bn.
Macau has finally released a set of rules governing the location of slot parlors almost five years after starting to prepare it. The new rules state that parlors cannot be placed in residential areas and are only allowed to be put inside five star hotels, non-residential buildings located within 500-meters of a casino or within a resort “not integrated in a densely populated area”. The press release from the Executive Council states the government must take “adequate measures” to remove slot parlors already in residential areas within one year of the bylaw taking effect. Gaming manufacturers must, under the new rules, supply products to the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau for authorization before they can be supplied. Under the new rules operators also should inform the regulators of any new games or jackpots at least 20 days before they’re installed.
Casinos are considering a novel way to get around table limits by introducing Siamese baccarat tables. Business Daily reports that venues are preparing to use tables that can seat 18 players – double the amount that can usually be accommodated. It would get around the government’s table cap of 5,500 and the rules for baccarat only state that they can have “one or two board, with seven or more seats”. Siamese tables would fit well within this and we might start to see these tables in the near future.
