Macao slashes junket license issuance by almost half

Slimmed roster comes as legislators debate proposals to further restrict sector

20220126 Macao VIP

High rollers recruited by junket agents for many years generated a leading share of Macao casino revenues. © Reuters

PAK YIU, Nikkei staff writer

HONG KONG -- Macao's gaming regulator on Wednesday approved 46 licenses for casino junkets to operate in the city, barely half the number issued a year earlier, in the latest sign of official resolve to reshape Asia's top gambling market.

Notable absences from the new roster of approved junkets include Sun City Gaming Promotion and Guangdong Group. Sun City, part of Suncity Group, was by far the top junket agency in 2019, controlling nearly half the market according to analyst estimates, while Guangdong was No. 3 then.

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