When Macau’s new gaming laws come into effect next year, a drastic
cut in gaming machines and tables is sending suppliers packing and
moving out of the city in favour of other Asian markets like Singapore
and Philippines.
Authorities in Macau made the decision to put a cap on the number of
gaming stations from 2023 onward to “control the scale” and foster the
“healthy development” of the casino industry and region as a whole.
The total number of table games and slot machines at the end of 2021
across Macau’s six casino giants already came in at 6,198 and 11,758
respectively. With the move to limit tables to 6,000 and slot machines
to 12,000, there’s little to zero wiggle room for growth.
The Macau gaming industry is currently experiencing the worst year of
the pandemic amid prolonged border lockdown. The gross gaming revenue
(GGR) between January and July amounted to US$404,500,000, whereas the
first seven months for 2020 and 2021 stood at US$532,700,000 and
US$863,200,000 respectively.
Prior to the pandemic, Macau’s gambling market was once six times
bigger than Vegas’s, raking in an annual revenue of US$36 billion.
Singapore and and the Philippines, meanwhile, are expected to see a growing gaming industry.
“Macau has already lost its shine,” Jay Chun, chairman of the Macau
Gaming Equipment Manufacturers Association, told Bloomberg. “Singapore
and the Philippines are growing exponentially.”
According to the report, Ken Jolly, Light & Wonder’s Asia vice
president and managing director said the Philippines, which has become
the top key market for the company, is now "a dominant market in Asia,
and it makes sense for us to put more staff there".