IAG MAR 2023

IAG MAR 2023年3月 亞博匯 84 “In fact we couldn’t even use our laptops at first and we fought with the government to get permission. In practice, the government does not understand the business environment for junket operators. Our staff are only able to calculate the amount of rolling turnover and commissions on a dining table … the business environment is very poor.” This, he noted, is made even more challenging by the increasing use of Direct VIP by concessionaires – a far more lucrative prospect for concessionaires given that they don’t need to pay junket commissions when doing so. “Direct VIP rooms have many advantages compared with general VIP rooms because they can offer better rooms for gamblers without paying the 5% commission tax,” U Io Hung said. “It’s an uneven competitive environment.” Despite this, U Io Hung believes junkets will survive, having long played an integral role within Macau’s casino industry. “The industry welcomes the government’s regulation and hopes for healthy development, but it should not be overkill,” he said. “If the regulations are too strict, there is no reasonable room for our survival. “In a football match, everyone would agree that a good referee makes the match more orderly, but if the referee overdoes it, the game will not run smoothly.” FEATURES