Macau's government "basically" approves rejuvenation plans for the city's older districts submitted by the six casino operators, Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng reportedly said during a press conference with local media.
The conference concluded the official visit of Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council to the gambling hub. While in Macau, the national official visited the non-gambling elements at two local hotels and resorts, including a new convention and exhibition complex in Cotai.
Elaborating on the rejuvenation plan, Ho said: "[Casino operators] understand the mentality of tourists, what they are looking for and what to invest in rejuvenating the districts," as cited by local media All About Macau. He further commended the plans for being "very well done" and “very detailed,” and said he hoped these plans could be implemented as soon as possible.
Ho Iat Seng, Macau's Chief Executive
The Chief Executive said the plans should bring older districts to “awakening” so that they would develop alongside the Cotai district. He suggested rejuvenation requires efforts from both public and private sectors, adding that each sector working out their functions with coordination will lead to “a good direction.”
Additionally, Ho said the casino operators have been fulfilling their non-gambling promises made during the license bidding procedure. He believes that non-gambling investments will leverage developments in MICE, culture, and sports, which is a commitment to gaming development in the gaming hub, reports Macau Daily Times.
Ho's remarks come as the gambling hub also eyes new regulations. As reported earlier this week, Macau lawmakers are "mostly satisfied" with the first version of a bill presented by the government that seeks to update laws regulating the granting of credit to gamblers to play in local casinos. Their only points of concern are related to ensuring that the bill has enough elements to be effective in tackling all the potential issues.