THE MACAU METRO MONITOR, DECEMBER 2, 2013
MACAU GGR DICJ
Macau November GGR rose 21.3% YoY to 30.179 MOP BN (29.299 HKD BN, 3.779 USD BN).
PACKAGE TOUR NUMBER REACHED 80% AGAIN Macau Daily News
After the China's new Tourism Law (i.e. ban of "zero-fee" package tours) came into effect for two months, tourism insiders said that arrivals in package tours in November started to pick up. The number of package tourists from Mainland returned to 80%, a level prior to the National Day holiday.
They believed that industry and tourists adapted to the new law faster than expected. Wu Keng Kuong, Director-General of Travel Industry Council of Macau, said in the first month after the implementation of the Tourism Law, number of package tourists dropped by a few % points, however, Mainland tour groups now have better understanding of the Tourism Law and tourists got used to new measures, the number of package tourists began to pick up.
SINGAPORE TO RESTRICT REMOTE GAMBLING ACTIVITIES Channel News Asia
Singapore authorities are moving to restrict remote gambling activities. Remote gambling refers to gambling via the Internet or any communication device, such as a smart phone. There are currently no specific laws to deal with remote gambling here, and there are concerns over its social impact. Authorities said remote gambling operations can also become a source or conduit of funds for illegal activities and syndicated crime.
It is estimated that the remote gambling market in Singapore could be worth some US$300 million, and it is expected to grow by 6-7% annually. There will be a public consultation exercise over the next few weeks to get stakeholders to weigh in on the issue. The new laws are expected to be in place by early next year.
