CLAIMS TO FAME
- Oversees Macau’s only licensed sports betting operator
Time will tell whether Macau’s long-time monopoly sports betting operator will face competition in the years ahead after the Macau SAR Government removed in 2021 an exclusivity clause while extending Macau Slot’s concession.
For the time being, Macau Slot Co Ltd remains the only option for those with a penchant for betting on the two sports it offers: football and basketball.
Founded in the mid-1980s under Stanley Ho’s STDM gambling empire, Macau Slot was granted Macau’s only franchise to accept betting on football in 1998, adding basketball two years later. In 2002, when the Macau SAR Government was handing out concessions to casino operators, Macau Slot became the holder of Macau’s only sports betting concession – a monopoly concession it has held until now, pending the aforementioned entry of new competitors in the future. Perhaps the ability to offer more markets might make that possibility more appealing to potential suitors.
But for Stephen Ho, Macau Slot’s long-time CEO, 2023 simply represents an opportunity to reset and recover given the pandemic-induced challenges of recent years.
For the full list of 2023 Asian Gaming Power 50 winners, click here.
