Your Daily Asia Gaming eBrief: All you can get, for five percent

Monday 12th of December 2022

Good morning. Massive weekend for Macau. Years of lead time in the making, the Macau government revealed its plan to live with covid - infected patients can go to work but inbound flight quarantine is still in effect. In other news, after months of negotiations with the incumbent concessionaires, the Macau government has suggested a novel approach to diversification, demanding operators develop a separate infrastructure for non-Chinese players, a segment that yields less than marginal revenue in return for a 5 percent tax cut.
Elsewhere, Venetian employees are taking a Christmas bonus home and Thailand hits its tourism target.
Have a great week ahead!

What you need to know

Macau gaming concessionaires to create foreigner-only gaming rooms and chips and be eligible for a waiver on the 5% tax on the revenue generated.
The Star has been hit with a $67.98 million fine and deferred suspension of its Queensland casino licenses after investigations by state authorities.

On the radar

Macau reverts to home isolation but maintains quarantine for inbounds.

AGB Intelligence

MACAU

Macau introduces foreign-only VIP rooms in novel approach to diversification

After months of negotiations with the incumbent concessionaires, the Macau government has introduced a novel approach to diversification - demanding operators develop a separate infrastructure for a segment that yields less than marginal revenue in return for a 5 percent tax cut. The overall gaming tax in place on operators will continue at 40 percent. Foreigner-only rooms would function just like a VIP room, but for foreign players only. Estimates of foreign player gaming revenue at just 3.58 percent of total GGR in 2019, or roughly $10.46 billion. The measure would come into effect on January 1st, when the new six gaming concessions re-start.