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Expert: Macau-based lawyer Sofia Linhares.

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 jul26 The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is building its casino market around regulation, tourism integration and controlled access rather than broad gaming expansion, according to Macau-based lawyer Sofia Linhares . Sofia Linhares Speaking to AGB, Linhares said the UAE was taking a different approach from traditional gaming jurisdictions by establishing its regulatory framework before the industry reaches maturity. The country, which historically maintained a strict prohibition on gambling, is now developing a regulated commercial gaming sector under the oversight of the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority ( GCGRA ). The launch of Wynn Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah, expected to become the UAE’s first casino resort, will provide an early test of whether gaming can be integrated into the country’s wider tourism and economic diversification strategy. https://agbrief.com/intel/deep-dive/20/07/2026/uae-aims-to-build-regulated-gaming-market-centred-on-tourism-lawyer/?utm_so...
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A permanente esquizofrenia de uma cidade de Jogo que está sempre preocupada em provar que não é isso, tem de ser resolvida.

 jul26 A competição entre as cidades da Grande Baía é cada vez mais evidente; e, por maior que seja o potencial da complementaridade, vista a partir de Pequim, ela será naturalmente construída a partir dos interesses concorrentes em cada uma das nove cidades e duas regiões especiais que compõem uma região económica especial com mais de 80 milhões de consumidores e 14 por cento do PIB da China. Macau tem rapidamente de perceber isso, se não quer ser engolida por uma realidade que a ultrapassa. A rápida expansão de resorts integrados “diluiu o toque local” da cidade, comenta o ex--secretário das Finanças de Hong Kong, John Tsang, numa publicação no Facebook. Tsang, governante que mais tempo ocupou aquele cargo, considera que a escala e a opulência dos novos resorts integrados em Macau rivalizam com os mais relevantes polos de luxo no mundo. Contudo, não lhe dá valor: “Fui a Macau há alguns dias; não ia lá há muitos anos […] Não entendo nada de jogos de azar; e, além disso, não tenho ...
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the tourism tax might have some additional positive aspects (opinion)

 jul26 D espite accounting for a very small share of local government tax revenue, the tourism tax might have some additional positive aspects that contribute to the decision to keep this form of duty active, economist and associate professor of business economics at the University of Macau’s Faculty of Business Administration, Professor Henry Lei, told the Times. According to information provided by the Financial Services Bureau (DSF) to the Times in response to an inquiry, the recent changes in the number and types of businesses that are subject to the 5% levy are expected to result in a 50% reduction in regular revenue from this tax. “Starting from July 1, 2026, for establishments exempted from tourism tax pursuant to the provisions of Article 4(e) of the tourism tax regulation, as amended by Article 45 of Law No. 5/2026, tax revenue is expected to decrease by approximately MOP750,000,” the DSF said, adding, “The relevant tourism tax amount collected for the fiscal year 2025 is ...
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All six operators pursue essentially those same customers. (opinion)

 jun26 In Las Vegas, diversified revenue streams create a more layered operating environment, both across the market and within individual properties. Customers visit for different reasons, on different budgets, at different times of the year and for varying lengths of stay. Whether driven by seasonal demand, curated programming or a combination of both, operators maximize value through carefully coordinated strategies and systems. This dynamic has also produced a broad spectrum of properties, ranging from luxury integrated resorts competing at the highest level of service for premium guests to mid-market and value-oriented offerings tailored to distinct customer segments. In effect, operators choose the tier in which they compete and structure their businesses accordingly. The result is a resilient market that is better positioned to navigate broader economic cycles and external disruptions. In Macau, the concentration of revenue in gaming removes that buffer. What surprised me mo...
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the tension between market share acquisition costs and profit margin erosion + more sophisticated customer retention programs (opinion)

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 jun26 Integrated resort executive David Bonnet further explores the growing tension between market share acquisition costs and profit margin erosion in the SAR and asks whether operators are focusing on the right areas in their quest to boost market share. In an earlier article I wrote, called “ Promo Costs: Market Share or Margin?, ” we examined the growing tension between market share acquisition costs and profit margin erosion. At the heart of the discussion was a simple question: does increasing player reinvestment generate incremental growth or merely redistribute existing demand? More than three years into the post-pandemic recovery, new data provides additional insight into the market’s evolution. Macau has largely completed the transition from volume to yield growth. Capacity is fixed, visitation patterns have matured, and premium hotel inventory is constrained. Quarterly GGR appears to be consolidating at around MOP$65 billion to MOP$68 billion (US$8.1 billion to US$8.4 b...
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Macau’s obsession with visitor numbers is holding it back

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  jul26 Macau’s obsession with visitor numbers is holding it back By Renato Marques, MDT July 13, 2026 0 Renato Marques Macau has become addicted to a number – tourist arrivals. Month after month, headlines celebrate visitor records as if they were a reliable measure of economic health. Policymakers proudly announce millions of arrivals, while businesses eagerly anticipate the next holiday surge. Yet beneath the statistics lies an uncomfortable reality. More visitors do not necessarily translate into greater prosperity. For a city as small and resource-constrained as Macau, pursuing volume is a flawed strategy. Macau cannot win a price-based competition. It also cannot match neighboring destinations in scale, beaches, shopping districts, or natural attractions. Nor should it try. Competing for the largest number of visitors inevitably means competing for the lowest spenders, placing pressure on infrastructure, public transportation, and local communities while delivering diminishi...
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Macau tops mainland Chinese outbound satisfaction ranking for second year

 jul26 Macau has held on to first place in the China Tourism Academy’s latest rankings of outbound destinations for mainland Chinese tourists, winning particular praise for its “leisure and entertainment” as well as “attractions and accommodation”. The academy’s 2025 Top 10 Destinations for Chinese Outbound Tourist Satisfaction, released on Monday, also pointed to a broader rebound in outbound travel. Mainland residents made 148 million outbound trips in 2025, close to the 155 million recorded in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic. Outbound travel spending totalled nearly US$160 billion (MOP1.29 trillion), with both trips and spending rising by more than 20 percent year-on-year. New Zealand and Australia followed Macau in the 2025 list, with Hong Kong, Argentina, Spain, Singapore, Italy, France, and the United Kingdom also featuring among the top 10. The China Tourism Academy, a research institute under the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism, measures satisfaction by assessing ...
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