Macau casino operators submit plans for major sporting events
On Sunday, Macau’s six gaming concessionaires turned in their plans for organizing local sporting projects, such as international tennis and golf tournaments.
The President of the Macau Sports Bureau, Pun Weng Kun, confirmed the submissions and promised an announcement after the concessionaires finished coordinating with the region’s government.
“The six concessionaires have now submitted their plans to the government for organizing sports competitions and will announce them after coordinating with the government,” he said.
“I believe the participation of large enterprises in sports events will increase the effectiveness of the events and attract more visitors to Macau, so that the public can also enjoy the high-level events.”
As one of the conditions for the region’s casino licensing process last year, the Macau government stated that the concessionaires were required to invest in non-gaming projects. This is reportedly Beijing’s attempt to diversify Macau from gambling and reel in foreign tourists.
While seven companies sent out applications for licenses, including new addition Genting Malaysia, only six were approved: Wynn Macau, SJM Holdings, Sands China, Galaxy Entertainment, Melco Resorts, and MGM China. The permits are valid for 10 years from January 1 this year.
Last month, during the legislative assembly, Elsie Ao Ieong U – Macau’s Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture – announced that the concessionaires had until March to hand in their plans for non-gaming events.
At the time, she said that “many of Macau’s tournaments are becoming market-oriented, and in the future, some major sports events will be hosted by large organizations”.
Hosting major events is nothing new to the concessionaires, as all of them have a history of sponsoring the Macau Grand Prix. The Sands China Macau International 10k race is one of the sports events already organized by the concessionaires and will be held next week.
Other upcoming sports events include the MGM Macau International Regatta and the Galaxy Entertainment Macau International Marathon.