Macau's legal regime for casino lucky gaming operation and its supporting regulations came into force on 23 June 2022, according to the Macau government's economic overview1. The same account states that in July 2022 the government began the orderly re-tendering of casino lucky gaming concessions, and that a new round of concession contracts took effect on 1 January 20231.
The framework is set out in the government's own summary of the sector:
"2022 年 6 月 23 日，《娛樂場幸運博彩經營法律制度》及配套法規正式生效"
The government reports that six gaming companies are currently authorized to hold casino lucky gaming rights in Macau as independent legal persons1. As of the end of the second quarter of 2025, 30 lucky gaming casinos were operating in the city, employing 52,898 full-time gaming workers, up 380 year on year, with average full-time pay of 27,390 patacas, up 2.4 percent1.
Gaming revenue figures reported by the government:
| Period | Figure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Full year 2024 gross gaming revenue | 2,267.82 billion patacas | up 23.9 percent year on year |
| 2024 mass-market revenue | 1,720.18 billion patacas | up 24.77 percent year on year |
| January to August 2025 gross gaming revenue | 1,630.52 billion patacas | up 7.2 percent year on year |
The 2024 mass-market figure was 9.4 percent above 2019 and accounted for 75.85 percent of total gaming revenue, a record high, the government states1. In the first half of 2025, GDP was 2,001.5 billion patacas, up 1.8 percent in real terms, recovering to 87 percent of the same period in 20191.
The government also reports that in 2024 it continued to improve supervision and regulation of the gaming industry, established a mechanism for delivering non-gaming elements, and strictly monitored concessionaires' fulfillment of their contract commitments1. It states that this was intended to enrich Macau's position as a world tourism and leisure center and to add momentum to the development of the integrated tourism and leisure industry1.
What it means for players
The law that took effect on 23 June 2022 is the licensing and operating framework for Macau's casinos, not a set of rules aimed at individual gamblers. The practical effect reported is structural: the concession round that followed in July 2022 and the contracts that began on 1 January 2023 produced the current arrangement of six authorized gaming companies operating 30 casinos as of the end of the second quarter of 20251. For anyone gambling in Macau, the venues they visit and the companies running them sit inside that licensing system.
The government's account does not describe changes to player-facing rules such as entry requirements, taxes on winnings, dispute procedures or self-exclusion, and none of that has been reported here. Details on what is legal for locals, expats and visitors are set out in the site's Macau guide and its overview of gambling laws across Asia.
What happens next
The government's overview records the sequence already completed: the law and supporting regulations on 23 June 2022, the re-tendering in July 2022, and the new concession contracts from 1 January 20231. It does not set out any further dated steps for the licensing regime. The same document notes that the government will continue to improve supervision and regulation of the gaming industry and to monitor concessionaires' contract commitments, without giving a timetable1.
Sources1 sources
- 經濟概, gcs.gov.mo
