The Macau Metro Monitor, May 25, 2012
PONTE 16 INVESTOR HOPING TO SET UP THE MAINLAND'S FIRST CASINO ON HAINAN ISLAND Macau Business
According to Business Daily, Hoffman Ma Ho Man, deputy chairman of Success Universe Group, which owns a 49% stake in Ponte 16, a JV with SJM, said he has a commercial interest in talking up Hainan’s gaming prospects as he would like to bid to operate a casino there if the opportunity arises.
According to Ma, Hainan has approval in principle from the central government for a casino. “A condition of getting the casino licence is that the central government will not support Hainan [financially]. It gives RMB30 billion [MOP37.85 billion] to RMB40 billion to Hainan per year. So Hainan would need to survive by getting the tax from the gaming," said Ma.