The Macau Metro Monitor, March 25th, 2010


SJM SLOT PARLOUR TO GO AHEAD macaubusiness.com

SJM's project to transform its Guangzhou Hotel into a slot-machines parlour was been granted approval by the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) as an initiative to promote businesses, hospitality and tourism in the Inner Harbour. This was a surprise since the government "stands firm" on moving slot-machines parlours out of residential areas. According to DICJ’s director, Manuel Joaquim das Neves, no other locations in the Inner Harbour has been approved to open slot machine venues.

COTAI SANDS READY TO SHIFT macaubusiness.com

On Monday, March 29, Sands China will hold a contract signing ceremony with a contractor to restart construction on parcels 5 and 6 on the Cotai Strip. The actual start date of the construction is TBD. Phase I of the project is expected to be ready in 18 months and will cost approximately US$2 billion.


SURVEY ON MANPOWER NEEDS AND WAGES FOR THE 4TH QUARTER 2009- GAMING INDUSTRY DSEC

At the end of 4Q 2009, the Gaming Sector had 44,020 employees, up slightly by 0.4% YoY. Analyzed by occupations that are directly related to betting services, 18,274 were dealers, up slightly by 0.4% YoY; 12,040 were hard & soft count clerks, cage cashiers, pit bosses, casino floor persons, betting service operators, etc., up by 1.4%. Meanwhile, 5,283 were casino & slot machine attendants, security guards, surveillance room operators, etc., up by 4.4% from a year earlier.

In December 2009, average earnings (excluding bonuses and allowances) for full-time employees dropped by 3.4% year-on-year to MOP 15,100. The average earnings for dealers fell by 4.9% over December 2008 to MOP 13,270, and that for hard & soft count clerks, cage cashiers, pit bosses, casino floor persons, betting service operators, etc. stood at MOP 18,400, down by 5.7%. The average earnings for casino & slot machine attendants, security guards, surveillance room operators, etc. registered a YoY increase of 4.7% to MOP 10,060.

At the end of December 2009, number of vacancies of the Gaming Sector increased by 48.1% YoY to 382, with 114 for dealers, 57 for hard & soft count clerks, cage cashiers, pit bosses, casino floor persons, betting service operators, etc. and 66 for  casino & slot machine attendants, security guards, surveillance room operators, etc.

With respect to the indicators that measure the inflow and outflow of human resources, as well as staffing needs of the sector, the employee turnover rate and recruitment rate of the Gaming Sector were 4.1% and 4.9% respectively in the fourth quarter of 2009, while the job vacancy rate was 0.9%.