The Gaming Law must be passed by 26 June and the new concessions by 31 December? Apparently not

Must the new Gaming Law be passed by 26 June? And must the new concessions be signed by 31 December? Despite that being the prevailing wisdom, the answer to both questions is, “Apparently not.”

As we all know, the gaming contracts of the six concessionaires will expire at midnight at the end of 26 June this year, and the government has stated the six concessions will be extended until 31 December. The President of the Macau Legislative Assembly Macau, Kou Hoi In, mentioned earlier this year that he hoped the new gaming law would be passed before 26 June, and it is widely said that the new gaming law must be passed on 26 June. But why? Is it possible to pass it later?

In fact, 26 June is not a deadline at all. The new gaming law can definitely be passed later.

The current Law No. 16/2001, formally the Legal Framework for the Operations of Casino Games of Fortune but commonly known as the “Macau gaming law” does not have an expiration date. The only thing which expires is the right to operate gaming, which is held by the six concessionaires. All six concessionaires have applied to the government to extend their gaming rights until December 31 and are now waiting for approval.

Source: https://www.asgam.com/index.php/2022/05/30/the-gaming-law-must-be-passed-by-26-june-and-the-new-concessions-by-31-december-apparently-not/