Satélites
No final de Dezembro deste ano termina o período de três anos concedido pelo Governo aos casinos-satélites para operarem, o que pode implicar o encerramento de espaços vitais para vários hotéis, lojas e restaurantes. A deputada Ella Lei veio a público mostrar-se preocupada com o futuro dos trabalhadores e alerta para o risco de uma vaga de despedimentos.
Os casinos-satélite resultam do acordo entre as concessionárias de jogo e outras empresas e permite a exploração de casinos por essas empresas, como acontece em espaços como o Hotel Ponte 16 ou o Hotel L’Arc. Na última revisão da lei do jogo, o Governo tentou acabar com estes casinos, porém, face à previsível vaga de desemprego, a qual se juntaria ao encerramento de vários promotores de jogo, acabou por ceder, autorizando a operação dos casinos-satélites por mais três anos. O período termina no final deste ano.
Segundo Ella Lei, ao longo dos últimos anos alguns casinos-satélite encerraram devido a decisões comerciais, face à diminuição das receitas durante a pandemia, e também devido às novas leis, que tornaram mais difícil apurar receitas.
No entanto, em declarações ao Jornal do Cidadão, a deputada ligada à Federação das Associações dos Operários de Macau (FAOM) alerta que existem 11 casinos-satélite e que actualmente não há qualquer informação sobre o seu futuro dos trabalhadores.
Esperam-se soluções
A deputada espera que a situação seja clarificada o mais depressa possível pelos casinos-satélite e o Governo, para dar resposta à ansiedade em que estes trabalhadores vivem.
A deputada da FAOM admitiu também que faz sentido separar os trabalhadores em dois grupos: os que têm contratos com as concessionárias e aqueles com vínculo laboral com as empresas satélite. No caso dos trabalhadores das concessionárias, Ella Lei espera que haja um esforço para manter os trabalhadores, embora com o desempenho das funções em outros locais.
Em relação aos trabalhadores com contratos com as empresas satélite, a deputada admite uma maior preocupação, porque muitos dos hotéis podem deixar de ser rentáveis sem os casinos. Ella Lei pede ao Governo que tome medidas para clarificar a situação e que comece a criar planos para encontrar empregos alternativos para estas pessoas.
Nearly 40 members of staff working for Kam Pek Paradise have recently been dismissed after being made to change duties at the casino, lawmaker Jose Maria Pereira Coutinho has said.
Citing complaints from the sacked staff aged between 30 and 55, the lawmaker said that he had sought government intervention multiple times over the past few months, but to no avail.
According to him, almost 40 croupiers approached him in February after being requested by their supervisors to transition to other roles in early January. Some of them who declined the offer had their break time reduced as a result, the lawmaker claimed.
Firms used to being third-party promoters of Macau satellite casinos and having the option of sharing venue revenue with the relevant gaming concessionaire, may be willing to transition to a so-called management company as required under the city’s updated regulatory framework at the end of a three-year grace period, says a boss at satellite property Ponte 16.
Macau is to have 11 so-called satellite casinos that will continue to operate under the new 10-year gaming concessions starting from January 1, 2023, compared to 18 satellite casinos that were in the market as of June-end this year, a decrease of 38.9 percent.
The information was given by André Cheong Weng Chon (pictured second right), Secretary for Administration and Justice, during a Friday press conference following the signing of the new concession contracts.
Nine of the 11 satellite casinos are under SJM Holdings Ltd’s licence, one is under Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd’s permit, and one is under Melco Resorts and Entertainment Ltd’s Macau gaming rights.
The satellite casinos that are mentioned as continuing to rely on SJM Holdings’ licence after January 1 are: Casino Grandview in Taipa, and the Macau peninsula venues Casino Casa Real, Casino Kam Pek Paradise, Casino Fortuna, Casino Emperor Palace, Casino Ponte 16, Casino L’Arc Macau, and Casino Legend Palace.
Seven existing SJM Holdings satellites not mentioned in SJM Holdings’ new concession contract – and therefore anticipated to be ceasing gaming from January 1 – include Casino Taipa, located inside the Regency Art Hotel, in the Taipa district, but which had been in suspension for some time.
The Macau-peninsula based SJM Holdings-licensed venues assumed to be exiting the market are: Casino Eastern; Casino Diamond; plus Casino Babylon at Macau Fisherman’s Wharf; as well as Casino Million Dragon, Casino Golden Dragon, and Casino Royal Dragon.
The latter three were all founded by Macau businessman Chan Meng Kam; with Taipa’s Casino Grand Dragon also founded by the entrepreneur, confirmed as remaining in the mix as mentioned, under Melco Resorts’ licence.
With the approval of the Legislative Assembly on Thursday of the revision of “Exploitation Regime of Games of Chance in Casinos” the Macau government has closed the book on junket operations as seen in the last two decades of the industry’s boom.
Also revised was the scheme in which the “Satellite Casinos” operate. Going forward, the management entities will be dubbed “gaming management companies.”
Management companies may only be contracted with a single concessionaire and may not enact a revenue share agreement with the concessionaire.
The satellite entities have been provided a three-year grace period to revamp their property’s operation.
https://agbrief.com/news/macau/16/12/2022/macau-shuts-the-book-on-junkets-revamps-satellites-management/?utm_source=Asia+Gaming+Brief&utm_campaign=bfe27a399e-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_5_19_2022_13_42_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_51950b5d21-bfe27a399e-69255637&ct=t(EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_5_19_2022_13_42_COPY_01)&goal=0_51950b5d21-bfe27a399e-69255637
Satellite casinos are not out of the picture in Macau, and their names will be revealed very soon, said the SAR’s secretary for economy and finance Lei Wai Nong who spoke to the Legislative Assembly on Monday.
However, the government is worried that there may be too many people left unemployed after the closures of these properties, similar to what happened when junket operators began shutting down. Lei responded to the Assembly and said that workers should be treated under existing labor rights laws and said that he was not sure how many satellite casinos will remain in operation.
The satellite casino numbers will be announced after the government signs a contract with concessionaires. Usually, every time a contract is signed, the satellite casinos will also be announced. Lei did stress that labor rights must be upheld either way. Macau is rapidly changing and trying to not completely move away from its reputation as a gambling hub, but certainly diversify it.
The current concessionaires won a ten-year contract extension on November 26 and will remain unchallenged. However, all concessionaires now must meet a much higher social responsibility bar and particularly where investments are concerned. Macau wants to see all license holders invest heavily in non-gambling aspects of the tourism industry and work to attract overseas customers who are not Chinese.
The question of satellite casinos does remain, though, but as Lei put it, it will clear up before long. In the meantime, the world must accept the new realities, which are that junkets and satellite casinos will no longer have the same clout in Macau’s gambling industry – one way or another.
Comments
Post a Comment