During a recent meeting in Macau, government officials revealed details regarding amendments to gaming law in the region. Lei Waj Nong, the Secretary for Economy and Finance in Macau, made his 2021 policy address late last week in the Legislative Assembly. Questions were answered by Nong during the meeting, stating that amendments to the gaming law will include requiring operators to place locals in 85% of the middle and senior management positions.

Requiring Locals

In 2016, SAR’s Five-Year Development Plan mentioned the 85% mark for management employees. The government hoped that it would improve from just over 81% at that time to the 85% mark this year. Currently, the figure is at 88.5%. Right now, a total of 8,809 of staff members in middle and senior management positions are locals. This is the bulk of 9,959 of the total middle/senior management employees.

Lei stated that more locals need to be trained to reach management levels within gaming companies. The government will soon require operators to strengthen programs to train locals in this manner. Lei also said that the amendments made to the gaming law must be crafted carefully as they will help to create sustainable development of Macau.

According to Inside Asian Gaming, Lei said: “Our goal is clear. We must consider cautiously for the public consultation, legislative progress, and the re-tendering of gaming licenses as it relates to the future of Macau.

Cracking Down on Illegal Gambling Sites

The new gambling law amendment news comes just a few days after reports went public regarding an illegal online gambling website crackdown in Macau. During the Policy Address 2021, it was revealed that in an eleven-month period, 97 websites were shut down after it was found they were connected to illicit gambling or fraudulent activity.

While the 97 sites is a high number, it is much lower than the 177 domains that were shut down in 2019. The sites affected were located in overseas jurisdictions and targeted foreign visitors.