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

1.1 Concessionaire

Macau — Regulatory/Legal

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

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 — 1,157 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.