On July 14th 2015, Lionel Leong Vai Tac, the Secretary of Economy and Finance in Macau said that in the existing legislation there are no restrictions that stop casinos being built in Coloane, an area that is next to Cotai. He also added that the government has not received any requests as of yet.

Leong on Monday said to members of the territory’s Legislative Assembly, that if they were to receive a request for a project, then the views of the residents of Macau would be heard before a decision was made. He also added that if society believes that certain areas should not have casinos then the legislation would need to be changed.

Au Kam San, a legislator made the enquiry with Leong as he mentioned that there are plans for hotels in Coloane including the Louis XIII hotel. The developers of the hotel are interested in the inclusion of gaming amenities.

The Louis XIII hotel is being built by Louis XIII Holdings Ltd., a Hong Kong listed company. The hotel development is expected to have a casino that contains 66 gaming tables.

Au also noted that Coloane is the only city where there are no casinos and asked if the government will prevent casinos from being built in the area, which is Macau’s last ecologically green area.

There was concern from legislators in regards to having a casino that is close to Seac Pai Van, a public housing complex.

In June Leong said that there are only 6 licensed casino operators which are able to make requests for casino facilities and tables, but also said once again that the government has not received any formal requests from the Macau gaming concessionaire for a casino in Coloane.