The Macau Metro Monitor, April 15, 2013
BEIJING ANNOUNCES CURBS FOR MACAU GAMING TOURS China Daily
The central government’s mouthpiece China Daily has reported that Beijing has imposed new rules for Macau gambling trips. China Daily said that people who organize trips with more than 10 mainlanders to come to gamble in Macau, and profit from such trips, will be charged with the crime of gambling, in-line with Chinese Criminal Law.
Since Macau is an independent jurisdiction, the decision as to whether mainland citizens gambling in Macau are doing something illegal or not will “be decided case by case”, the ministry's petition office said at People.com.cn, a website owned by The People’s Daily.
SJM TO IMPROVE AIR QUALITY INSIDE CASINOS: ANGELA LEONG Macau Business
SJM CEO Angela Leong said the company would act quickly to improve the air quality inside the casinos and slot machine parlours operated under its gaming licence. The improvements inside the casinos’ smoking areas would involve further discussion with SJM’s partners. Almost two thirds (28) of Macau’s gaming venues failed to meet the compulsory air quality requirements for their smoking areas, according to a maiden evaluation by the Health Bureau in late March.
MACAU HAS "CLEANED UP": PANSY HO Macau Business
Pansy Ho, the chairperson of MGM China, says the days when Macau was seen as a shady gaming centre, connected with money laundering and violence, are gone. “It has cleaned up,” Ho said. “We don’t see any of that happening [now].” She also said she is confident the central government will continue allowing the number of mainland visitors coming to Macau to increase, albeit not necessarily at double-digit rates.
SINGAPORE CHANGI TRAFFIC GROWTH TO SLOW AS QANTAS DROPS HUB AND AIRASIA CLOSES BASE Center for Aviation
Passenger growth at Singapore is slowing significantly, making it very unlikely Changi will expand in 2013 its current streak of three consecutive years of double-digit expansion. Singapore authorities should still accelerate airport expansion, particularly the opening of a third runway, because the current congestion has already become an impediment to growth.
In the latest blow to Changi, AirAsia has decided to close its Singapore base. Shifting back to Malaysia, the group’s small contingent of Singapore-based crews will have a very slight impact on total passenger figures at Changi. But it signals the challenges Changi faces as its LCC growth figures start to slow down while other airports in the region continue to record rapid increases.
The AirAsia decision follows Qantas moving its transit hub for European services from Singapore to Dubai, leading to a reduction in total Changi capacity of more than 2%.
