The Macau Metro Monitor, October 31, 2011

MGM WILL CONTINUE TO ADD NONGAMING ELEMENTS Jornal Va Kio

Grant Bowie, CEO of MGM Resorts China Holdings, said the company has been always dedicated to developing non‐gaming projects and the company is not just striving to secure more gaming tables.  When asked about his opinion about the upcoming tobacco control law, he said it is a global trend and casino business may be affected at initial stage. 

CASINOS AGREE TO REGULATE SHUTTLES: GOVT Macau Business

The Transport Bureau director Wong Wan said casino operators have agreed to restrict the number of shuttle buses.  Wong didn’t put forward any specific goal for the overall number of casino shuttles to operate in Macau in the future.  As part of the overall plan to improve traffic, the government also wants to cap the growth in the number of cars at 4% a year starting in 2020.

REGULATION ON CASINO SMOKING OUT THIS YEAR Macau Daily Times

Even though the gaming industry will only be forced to introduce smoking restrictions in 2013, the government is planning to release regulation for casinos by the end of this year, Health Bureau (SSM) director Lei Chin Ion said.  A ban on indoors smoking in public spaces will come into effect on January 2012 but casinos will have one more year to set up dedicated smoking areas of up to 50% of their total public area.

SINGAPORE'S JOBLESS RATE FALLS AS COMPANIES INCREASE PAYROLLS Bloomberg

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate eased to 2% in the three months through September from 2.1% the previous quarter, the Ministry of Manpower said. That’s better than the Street estimate of 2.3%.  S'pore economy added ~32,300 jobs in 3Q, compared with 24,800 in 2Q.