The government announced yesterday that it has green-lighted gaming concessionaire Melco’s application to continue operating three Mocha slot-machine parlours not housed on its own premises, namely Golden Dragon, Sintra, and Inner Harbour, after tomorrow, New Year’s Eve, through the hiring of management companies.
The Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) made the announcement in a statement yesterday.
Melco announced in June that it decided to terminate the operations of three of its then six Mocha slot-machine parlours not housed on its own premises, namely Kuong Fat, Grand Dragon, and Royal, by December 31 this year.
The slot-machine parlour located in the Kuong Fat Commercial Centre office building in Zape closed for good in September, while the parlour located in Grand Dragon Hotel in Taipa ceased operations last month.
The slot-machine parlour located in Hotel Royal closed for good on Sunday night.
Currently, a Mocha slot-machine parlour is housed on Melco’s own premises, namely in the Altira Macau casino-hotel in Taipa.
Concerning the other three Mocha slot-machine parlours not housed on Melco’s own premises, namely Golden Dragon, Sintra, and Inner Harbour, Melco decided in June to continue operating them after December 31 this year through the hiring of management companies.
The first two of the three Mocha slot-machine parlours are located in Golden Dragon Hotel in Zape and Hotel Sintra in Nam Van district respectively. The Inner Harbour slot-machine parlour is housed in the former Hotel Cantão (“Hotel Canton”).
“Canton” is the old name for Guangzhou.
According to the gaming law’s newly amended version, all casinos and slot-machine parlours must be housed on premises that are owned by their respective gaming concessionaires.
After the statutory three-year transition period stipulated by the new legislation amending the gaming law, which is scheduled to end on December 31 this year, all slot-machine parlours not housed on premises owned by the respective gaming concessionaires must close, unless the concessionaires choose to hire “management companies” to operate the parlours.
A woman enters the Mocha slot-machine parlour in Hotel Sintra in Nam Van district yesterday. – Photo: Tony Wong
