Macao's gaming industry scales up added values of related industries: report

The development of Macao's gaming industry has scaled up the added values of the other related industries, according to a research report released on Wednesday.

Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) government disclosed its first report on the findings of a mid-term review on the local gaming sector since the liberalization of the industry in 2002.

The research conducted by Institute for the Study of Commercial Gaming at the University of Macao pointed out that there is synergetic effect between gaming and non-gaming elements.

According to the added value calculated using the production approach with current prices in 2003 and 2013 (Production Tax deducted), the added value of the gaming industry increased by 6.9 times, while the related sectors such as hotel industry climbed 11. 4 times, wholesale and retail industry, construction industry, banking industry, catering industry also raised 7.4 times, 5.1 times, 3.5 times and 3 times respectively.

The research report cited data from the six gaming operators, which shown that their non-gaming elements created an income of 23. 2 billion patacas in 2014, while the total non-gaming spending of tourists in Macao is comparable to that of Las Vegas.

The report stated that non-gaming element here has created a large amount of non-gaming job positions as well. The non-gaming employees accounted for 44 percent of the total number of employees in gaming operators.

Be referred as a "physical report" of the sector, the report consists of nine research topics in four categories, including the contractual and operating conditions of the six gaming operators, economical, social and livelihood impacts of the development of the gaming industry, and current situation of junket promoters, Leong Vai Tac, secretary for economy and finance of Macao SAR government said at the press conference on Wednesday.

He added that the data and index of the research provided references for the local government to track the development of the industry, and improve relevant policies, laws and regulations.

(APD)