Mobile subscribers in Macau are continuing to rise with the regulator reporting a small increase in the total amount. The DSRT reported that November ended with 1.57 million mobile subscribers – up from 1.54 million in October. There has also been a shift from 2G to 3G over the same period with customers using the new technology rising from 976,878 in October to 998,445 in November. Those with 3G devices will be able to take advantage of casinos starting to allow gambling on mobile devices on their premises and once it gets going mobile will be huge for Macau’s casinos.
Macau and Hong Kong residents will be issued a new pass when travelling to Mainland China. The pass, which is only available for those residents that are Chinese nationals, features new anti-counterfeiting technology that will make travel quicker and less susceptible to corruption.
Passengers injured on a ferry leaving Macau have all been discharged from hospital following an accident on Saturday. The 26 passengers were taken to hospital after the Hong Kong-bound hydrofoil had crashed into a buoy in Macau’s outer harbor. A government statement added: “The ship lost power [after the crash] but did not have water leakage nor did it have the risk of sinking”.
Smokers are running out of time to have their last puff in certain areas of Macau’s casinos with a partial ban being implemented from midnight. The ban will see casinos designate half of their gaming floor to non-smoking with anyone found to be smoking inside the zones subject to a maximum on-the-spot fine of MOP400 (US$50). Casinos have a special designation under the ban as all cafes and restaurants have a full ban in place already. Some observers are speculating that the ban could cause gross gaming revenue to drop slightly with others commenting that it could see the booming mass market grow even faster.
