Part V: Regional & Cultural · Asia-Pacific Regional Terms

Concessionaire

Macau — Regulatory/LegalREPORTED

(1) A company that has been granted a concession contract by the government to operate casino gaming in a jurisdiction. In Macau, the gaming market is structured as a government monopoly with private concessionaires: the government holds the monopoly on gaming, and commercial operation is permitted only through concession contracts with approved entities. As of 2023, Macau has six gaming concessionaires (formerly three concessionaires and three sub-concessionaires). Concessionaires must meet stringent suitability, financial capacity, and investment obligations, and are subject to comprehensive government oversight. (2) A concessionaire is an entity that has been granted a concession contract by the Macau SAR government to operate casino gaming. Under Macau’s Portuguese-derived civil law system, the government reserves the right to operate games of chance and awards concession contracts to private entities. Following the 2002 gaming liberalization, three concessions were granted; this expanded to six operators through sub-concessions. In 2022, six 10-year concessions were awarded to SJM, Galaxy, Wynn Macau, Sands China, MGM Grand Paradise, and Melco Resorts.

In practice

Under Macau’s 2022 Gaming Law amendments, the sub-concession system was eliminated. All six operators now hold direct concessions. Macau’s concession system is fundamentally different from the licensing model used in Nevada or Singapore. Concessionaires hold contracts that are subject to extensive government oversight and carry substantial obligations for non-gaming investment.

One entry from the Casino Industry Glossary, 1,090 terms written for surveillance, compliance and operations professionals rather than for players. Definitions describe industry usage; where a term carries a regulatory meaning, verify against the instrument that governs your jurisdiction.