Melco's Lawrence Ho says Macau may reverse gambling restrictions on budget woes
Following a corruption crackdown by Beijing in the past 18 months Macau's government has hinted at a range of additional measures, such as a smoking ban that could hurt casino operators, including
Yet with gaming revenue falling by more than a third in the past year, the Macau government's once-booming budget surplus faces slipping to an annual deficit.
Mr Ho, chief executive of Melco Crown Entertainment, said talk of more restrictive policies from the Macau government had started to ease.
"I think even the Macanese government has kicked in its austerity measures and realized that gaming revenue and gaming tax is responsible for 80 percent of the government budget. And they might run at a budget deficit next year, which 10 years ago would have been impossible to think of," Mr Ho said.
Skilrock joins APLA Seminar 2026 as Silver Sponsor
IGT’s Powerbucks surpasses CAD$100 million in jackpot payouts in Canada
Wilton Rancheria breaks ground on Sky River hotel resort development
Century Casinos cuts Q1 loss as revenue climbs to $137.2 million
DraftKings beats Q1 estimates, touts Super App growth in prediction markets
Wynn Resorts profit rises in Q1 as Macau, Las Vegas drive quarter revenue growth
Algotech strengthens its trading technology ecosystem through collaboration with 55Tech
OpticOdds launches as first odds data API available via MCP for Claude Desktop
Sportsbook integration: Deploying betting widgets at scale
Skilrock joins APLA Seminar 2026 as Silver Sponsor
Forbes Italia, SiGMA announce Top 50 initiative for Italy’s regulated gaming sector
