The Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Leong Vai Tac, today said gaming tax was not the only element to be considered in determining the competiveness of Macao’s gaming industry.

Other elements that help enhance the city’s competitiveness internationally included: the enhancement of service quality; the variety of services; marketing promotion efforts; the city’s Internet infrastructure; the efforts to create a smart city in terms of information technology; and efforts regarding prioritising the local MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) sector.

Speaking to reporters this afternoon, Mr Leong said the Government would analyse in a comprehensive manner – in order to promote a healthy development of the sector – the issue of the refreshment of gaming rights for the city’s current gaming concessions and sub-concessions.

The Government would take into consideration a number of factors when considering the refreshment of gaming rights for current operators. They included opinion from the community regarding the operators’ efforts to promote non-gaming as well as gaming offerings at integrated resorts – particularly in light of the "Interim Review of Gaming Liberalization for Games of Fortune", commissioned by the Government, and which had been published in May 2016.

Other factors for consideration, said Mr Leong, included: the levels of either upward or horizontal job mobility attained by casino employees; the operators’ strategies to attract a greater number of international visitors; and whether the plans of the operators were in line with the Government’s goal of positioning Macao as a world centre of tourism and leisure.

The Secretary said he noted additionally that interim, short-term renewal of the existing concessions could be done – under the current framework – via respective executive orders by the Chief Executive.

The concessions and sub-concessions of the six gaming operators will expire on various dates between 2020 and 2022.

In addition, the Government is paying close attention to the development of the gaming industry in neighbouring countries, in a bid to adjust in a timely manner the city’s strategies with regard to gaming.

Mr Leong said that during the adjustment period of Macao’s gaming industry, the structure of the sector had seen consistent improvement, including a growing contribution from the mass-market segment regarding casino revenue. In addition, the advancement of non-gaming elements at integrated resorts not only helped enhance the employment opportunities of local residents, but also helped diversify the source of visitors, including by attracting a greater number of family visitors, said Mr Leong.