When it comes to gambling in Asia, few figures can rival Stanley Ho, the
billionaire entrepreneur who’s almost single-handedly responsible for the rise
of Macau as a global gaming mecca. Among his rather impressive list of nicknames
are “The King of Macau,” “The King of Gambling,” and “The Underground Governor.”

• Stanley Ho Macau
• Stanley Ho Casinos

This biography is meant to provide an overview of Stanley Ho, from his early
life to the various awards and accolades he’s accumulated. I’ll also provide a
detailed list of his 17 children and their various accomplishments, as well as a
discussion of their inevitable battle over his estate.

Jun 09, 2019  Casino king Stanley Ho's daughter Sabrina hosts engagement party, gets $87 million house Ms Sabrina Ho does not have to go house-hunting before her marriage next year. The daughter of Macau casino. Lisboa Hotels Complex in the central Macau offers a mix of an old-time casino atmosphere with luxurious comfort. The original Hotel Lisboa and Casino was one of the oldest casinos in Macau with a history dating back to 1970. Owned by Stanley Ho, the Macau tycoon, the casino has gone though a few facelifts and expansions over time.

Early Years

Stanley Ho, born Ho Hung Sun, came into the world on November 25th, 1921 in
British-controlled Hong Kong. The ninth child to be born to Ho Sai Kwong and
Flora Sin, he was part of an influential family that boasted ties to Sir Robert
Hotung, a successful businessman often referred to as “The Grand Old Man of Hong
Kong.”

While Ho was still a child, his father went bankrupt. This placed the family
in an awkward financial situation, and it was only compounded when two of his
brothers committed suicide.

Ho was an academic underachiever early on, attending Queen’s College and
taking the lowest level classes available to a Hong Kong student. However, he
eventually realized that an education was his best chance of regaining the
fortune that his family had once been accustomed to, so he renewed his efforts
and received a scholarship to the University of Hong Kong (the first-ever
student from his class level to do so).

Moving to Macau

While Stanley Ho had intended to study at the University of Hong Kong, fate
had other plans. The beginning of World War II led to an invasion by the
Japanese, and he was forced to flee to Macau.

This provided the necessary spark to ignite his entrepreneurial spirit, and
it started with a job at a Japanese-owned import-export firm. Ho smuggled luxury
items into China, and doing so enabled him to amass a small fortune. With this
money, he launched both a construction and kerosene company and slowly built his
personal empire.

The Gambling Business

Along with partners Yip Hon, Teddy Yip, and Hong Kong tycoon Henry Fok,
Stanley Ho decided to pursue the lucrative gambling monopoly in Macau. In order
to wrest control away from the entrenched Fu family, they promised to build up
the city’s infrastructure and heavily promote tourism. The pitch worked, and in
1962 they were awarded the gambling monopoly from the controlling Portuguese
government.

This led to the creation of Sociedade de Turismo e Diversoes de Macau,
S.A.R.L. (STDM), as well as Ho’s Shun Tak Holdings, Ltd. The entrepreneur
quickly branched out into a number of business ventures, including hotels,
banking, air transport, and entertainment. At the height of his power, it’s
estimated that Ho controlled over half of the economy of Macau.

While some of his partners were content to be players in Macau, Ho worked
hard to spread his influence to other parts of the world. Over the course of
several decades, he invested significant amounts of money in Canada, East Timor,
Mozambique, Vietnam, Portugal, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
At one point, he even managed to get a casino opened in the basement of a North
Korean hotel.

Stanley Ho’s Family and Their Inevitable Feud

The phrase “be fruitful and multiply” certainly applies to Stanley Ho, as
he’s produced a total of 17 children with four different women. While polygamy
was outlawed in China in 1950 thanks to Chairman Mao, it was quite common in
traditional Chinese culture as a way to produce male offspring. Stanley Ho has
carried the ancient way of thinking into modern times, although it’s unclear how
many of his brides have actually married him in lawful ceremonies.

Ho’s children range from senior citizens to the relatively young. Some stay
out of the public eye, while others are frequent users of social media. The
Asian tabloids love the Ho family, as the sheer number of children and
grandchildren guarantees a wealth of personalities and news items.

During his life, Ho has referred to the following women as his “wives”:

• Clementina Leitao

  Ho’s first wife came from a
  prominent Portuguese family, and the couple had four children together after
  marrying in 1942. In 1973, she was in a car crash that resulted in partial
  memory loss, and afterwards she required constant care from a team of
  nurses. She passed away in 2004.

• Lucina Laam King Ying

  Ho met this wife in the late
  1950s, and the two bonded over a mutual love of ballroom dancing. He legally
  married her in Hong Kong in 1962. After Ho invested heavily in Canada during
  the 1980s, she immigrated there and has been living quietly ever since. The
  couple had five children together

• Ina Chan Un Chan

  After Clementina Leitao’s automobile
  accident, she required around-the-clock attention by a staff of nurses. Ho’s
  third wife was one of the women brought in to look after her in 1977, and
  the couple would later marry in 1985 and have three children together. Often
  regarded as the most low-key of Ho’s wives.

• Angela Leong On Kei

  Ho and Mrs. Leong have been
  together since 1988, when the pair met at a private ball (she’s a former
  dance instructor). The couple had five children together, with Leong
  eventually taking on a large role within Ho’s business empire. She’s also
  entered the political arena in recent years, becoming a member of the
  legislature of Macau.

Now let’s take a look at the many children sired by Stanley Ho over the
decades. Since there are so many, I’ve broken them down according to their
mothers. When possible, I’ve also included a small amount of biographical
information for your reading pleasure.

Children by Clementina Leitao

• Jane Ho Chiu Ying

  Born in 1947, Ho’s eldest daughter
  studied law in the UK and was once considered among the most successful
  businesswomen in Asia. She passed away in 2014 after struggling with the
  effects of Churg-Strauss Syndrome for seven years (which causes inflammation
  of the blood vessels).

• Robert Ho Yau Kwong

  Ho’s eldest son was born in 1948.
  In 1981, he and wife Melanie Susan Potier were killed in a car crash in
  Portugal.

• Angela Ho Chiu Yin
• Deborah Ho Chiu Hung

Children by Lucina Laam King Ying

• Pansy Ho Chiu King

  Born in 1962, this daughter has
  served as the managing director of both Sociedade de Turismo e Diversoes de
  Macau and Shun Tak Holdings, as well as the co-chair of MGM China. A
  billionaire with an estimated fortune of $3.8 billion, she holds the
  distinction of being the richest woman in Hong Kong.

• Daisy Ho Chiu Fung

  Born in 1964, this daughter also
  serves as a director at Shun Tak Holdings.

• Maisy Ho Chiu Ha
• Josie Ho Chiu Yi

  An award-winning Hong Kong actress
  and singer. Born in 1974 and married to Conroy Chan, she has described
  herself as the “little black sheep” of the family.

• Lawrence Ho Yau Lung

  The eldest living son of Stanley
  Ho, he received his education in Canada and then went on to become a
  billionaire by running three Macau casinos in conjunction with Aussie James
  Packer.

Children by Ina Chan Un Chan

• Florinda Ho Chiu Wan

  Born in 1989. Once involved in a
  tabloid love triangle with Asian celebrities Pakho Chau and Joel Chan San
  Chung.

• Laurinda Ho Chiu Lin

  Born in 1991. Romantically
  linked to several Asian celebrities, including Kai Ko and Alex Fong
  (although she denied the latter).

• Orlando Ho Yau Kai

  Also born in 1991, Orlando is the
  twin of Laurinda. Received his education in the United States at Boston
  University.

Children by Angela Leong On Kei

• Sabrina Ho Chiu Yeng

  Born in 1990, she’s served as
  the CEO of Poly Auction Macau Ltd, as well as being the founder and CEO of
  Chiu Yeng Culture Limited and the owner of Regency Hotel Macau.

• Arnaldo Ho Yau Heng

  Born in 1993. Linked to a number
  of female celebrities, including Moon Lau, Grace Chan, and Jeannie Chan.

• Mario Ho Yau Kwan

  Born in 1995, this youngest living
  son of Stanley Ho is a former MIT student and fan of European football. He’s
  also made plenty of tabloid headlines in Asia, as he was once romantically
  linked to Kim Lim, a billionaire heiress and one of the so-called “Rich Kids
  of Singapore.”

• Alice Ho Chiu Yan

  Born in 1999. The youngest living
  child of Stanley Ho.

• Orlando Ho

  Born in 1997, this youngest son of Stanley
  Ho tragically passed away in 2004 at the age of seven.

The trouble between the family members started in 2009, when Stanley Ho
suffered a serious fall at his home and underwent brain surgery. He spent more
than seven months in the hospital and has needed the use of a wheelchair ever
since.

Since he lacked a definitive will, Ho’s offspring began wondering how his
sizable fortune would be divided up in the event of his death. This caused
various factions of the family to go into crisis mode, and the results were
predictably ugly.

In early 2011, the dispute boiled over regarding the transfer of ownership of
Lanceford, Ho’s private holding company. Lanceford suddenly issued more than
9,900 new shares, and all of these were purchased by a pair of companies in the
Virgin Islands belonging to a coalition of wives and children. Ho said that the
move left him with “almost nothing.”

Later, he appeared on television for a press conference to assure the public
that the family squabbles were behind them. Just a short time later, however,
his lawyers issued court proceedings accusing his second and third wives, along
with some of their children, of “improperly and illegally” changing the share
structure of the company.

After months of bickering and legal wrangling, a private settlement agreement
was reached. Under these terms, the ownership of Lanceford would remain
unchanged, while fourth wife Angela Leong On Kei would continue to run SJM
Holdings for another six years. Meanwhile, ownership of Ho’s massive Macau
mansion was transferred to daughter Angela Ho Chiu-yin.

Further details about the specifics of the agreement were not available, but
the peace within the family has held for several years. According to an official
statement issued in 2011, “A deed of settlement was executed on March 8 between
all branches of the Ho family. We have agreed that we shall work together and
continue to develop the gambling business in Macau founded by Dr. Ho and
operated by the Ho family to enable it to flourish.”

Honors Received by Stanley Ho

When you’re filthy rich, people are often tripping over themselves to shower
you with praise and honors. Billionaire Stanley Ho is no different, and he’s
racked up a number of accolades over the decades. The following list includes
some of the more notable examples.

• Commander of the Order of Benefaction

  Presented by
  the government of Portugal in 1970.

• Commander of the Order of Prince Henry the Navigator

  Presented by the government of Portugal in 1981.

• Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur

  Awarded by the
  French government in 1983.

• Commander of the Most Venerable Order of St. John of Jerusalem
  – Presented by the United Kingdom in 1983.
• Honorary Doctorate of Social Sciences

  Received from
  the University of Macau in 1984.

• Grand Officer of the Order of Prince Henry the Navigator
  – Presented by the government of Portugal in 1985.
• Insignia of the Order of the Sacred Treasure

  Presented by the Japanese government in 1987.

• Eqvitem Commendatorem Ordinis Sancti Gregorii Magni by His
  Holiness Pope John Paul II

  The honorary papal insignia was
  bestowed on Dr. Ho in 1989.

• Officer of the Order of the British Empire

  Ho was
  granted this recognition in 1990 for his contributions to Hong Kong society.

• Grand Cross of the Order of Merit

  Presented by the
  government of Portugal in 1990.

• Honourable Order of the Crown of Perak

  Awarded by the
  government of Malaysia in 1990.

• Naval Medal, Vasco da Gama

  Presented by the
  government of Portugal in 1991.

• Silver Cross Medal of Social Solidarity

  Presented by
  the government of Spain in 1993.

• Great Cross of the Order of Prince Henrique

  Received
  in 1995 for his contributions to society, this is the highest order granted
  to a civilian by the Portuguese government.

• Award for Outstanding Achievement

  Presented to Ho in
  1996 by the Chinese city of Guangzhou.

• Honourable Order of the Crown of Terengganu

  Awarded
  by the government of Malaysia in 1997.

• Ho became the first living Chinese person in history to have a street in
  Macau named after him when Dr. Stanley Ho Avenue was unveiled in 1998.
• Medal of the Naval Cross, First Class

  Presented by
  the government of Portugal in 1999.

• Honourable Medal of Golden Lotus Flower

  Given to
  those who’ve rendered a high level of voluntary service within the community
  of Macau. Awarded in 2001.

• Gold Medal of Merit in Tourism

  Presented by the
  government of Portugal in 2001.

• Gold Bauhinia Star

  Once Hong Kong was transferred to
  the ownership of China, this civilian award replaced the Order of the
  British Empire. This was received in 2003 for his contributions to Hong
  Kong’s youth services.

• Commandeur de la Legion d’Honneur

  Awarded by the
  French government in 2004.

• Chinese Charity Award

  Presented with this honor in
  2005 and 2008.

• Commander of the Order of the Crown

  Presented by the
  government of Belgium in 2007.

• Grand Medal of Lotus Flower

  The highest possible
  recognition under the Macau honors and awards system, it recognizes a
  lifelong contribution to the city. Ho received this honor in 2007.

• Medal for Business Entrepreneurialism

  Ho received
  this honor from the city of Cascais in 2008. At the same time, the street
  next to the Estoril Casino was named Avenida Stanley Ho in his honor, making
  him the first living Chinese citizen to have a street in Portugal named
  after them.

• Beijing Olympics Honour

  Presented with this award
  during the 2008 Summer Olympics.

• G2E Asia Visionary Award

  Received this honor at the
  2009 G2E Asian conference.

• Hong Kong Montblanc Arts Patronage Award

  Presented in
  2009 by the Montblanc Cultural Foundation.

• Grand Bauhinia Medal

  In recognition of his
  contributions to the overall well-being of Hong Kong, Ho received this
  highest civilian award in 2010.

In addition to the above honors, Dr. Ho has been made an honorary citizen in
the following Chinese cities: Guangzhou, Nanhai, Foshan, Sanshui, Jiangmen,
Zhuhai, and Beijing.

He’s also been presented with honorary doctoral degrees from the following
schools: University of Macau, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Polytechnic
University, The Open University of Hong Kong, and the Hong Kong Academy for
Performing Arts.

Conclusion

Stanley Ho has made billions from the gambling industry in Macau, but he’s
also went to great lengths to improve the overall quality of his adopted home.
As he was once said, “Fulfilling my obligations to society is such a wonderful
source of happiness and satisfaction.”

In addition to creating numerous companies and business ventures, he’s been
prolific when it comes to having children. Thanks to four wives, Ho has produced
a total of 17 offspring over the course of his life.

Now in his nineties, Ho finally has the opportunity to relax after a life
spent building an empire. Whether it remains intact after his death, or becomes
fragmented thanks to squabbling relatives, remains to be seen.

Gambling in Macau has been legal since the 1850s when the Portuguese government legalised the activity in the autonomous colony. Since then, Macau has become known worldwide as the 'Gambling capital of the world'^[1][2] or 'Monte Carlo of the East'.

Gambling tourism is Macau's biggest source of revenue, making up about 50% of the economy. Visitors are made up largely of Chinese nationals from mainland China and Hong Kong. With the entry of large foreign casinos from Las Vegas and Australia, Macau overtook the Las Vegas Strip in gambling revenues in 2007.

Until Western-style casino games were introduced in the 20th century, only Chinese games were played, the most popular being Fan-Tan. Generally, gambling in Macau can be divided into one of four categories: casino games, greyhound racing, sports betting, and lotteries. At the present time, Macau does not license online gambling operations.

Macau, a special administrative region like Hong Kong, is the only place in China where casinos are legal, and the business has grown at an astounding pace since the government ended the four-decade gambling monopoly of the Hong Kong billionaire Stanley Ho in 2001.

Macau is the pre-eminent gambling capital of the world, grossing the highest amount of gambling/gaming revenue and greatly dwarfing all the other gambling centers/cities.^[1][2][3]

• 3Gambling forms
• 4Gaming law

History[edit]

In an attempt to generate revenues for the government, gambling in Macau was legalized by the Portuguese government in 1849.^[4] In the late 19th century, the government introduced a licensing system for the fantan houses (Chinese gambling houses). It is reported that over 200 gambling houses were required to pay gambling rent to the government.^[5] The second casino monopoly concession was granted to the Tai Heng^[6] Company in 1937.^[7] The company was, however, too conservative to fully exploit the economic potential of gambling. The industry saw a major breakthrough in 1962 when the government granted the Sociedade de Turismo e Diversões de Macau (STDM), a syndicate jointly formed by Hong Kong and Macau businessmen, the monopoly rights to all forms of gambling. The STDM introduced western-style games and modernised the marine transport between Macau and Hong Kong, bringing millions of gamblers from Hong Kong every year.^[5] The license was extended in 1986 for another 15 years but expired at the end of 2001.

Macau was transferred to the People's Republic of China in 1999 and became a special administrative region of China. During this transition, there were no changes to gambling policy in Macau.^[8]

In 2002, the Macau government ended the monopoly system and 3 (later 6) casino operating concessions (and subconcessions) were granted to Sociedade de Jogos de Macau (SJM, an 80% owned subsidiary of STDM), Wynn Resorts, Las Vegas Sands, Galaxy Entertainment Group, the partnership of MGM Mirage and Pansy Ho Chiu-king, and the partnership of Melco and PBL. On 18 May 2004, the Sands Macau casino opened near the Macau Ferry Terminal. Today, there are 16 casinos operated by the STDM, and they are still crucial in the casino industry in Macau.

Economic aspects[edit]

The so-called 'Monte Carlo of the Orient', Macau's economy relies heavily on gambling. Nowadays, the gambling industry generates over 40% of the GDP of Macau. Since the early 1960s, around 50% of Macau's official revenue has been driven by gambling. The percentage remained steady until the late 1990s. In 1998, 44.5% of total government revenue was produced by the direct tax on gambling. Then there was a 9.1% decrease in 1999, probably due to internet gaming. After the handover of the Macau from Portugal to China, the SAR released gambling licenses to other companies in order to eliminate the monopoly played by the STDM. In 2002, the government signed concession contracts with two Macau gaming companies, Wynn Resort Ltd. and Galaxy Casino. This opened the gambling market for competition and increased government tax revenue significantly. It also attracted more tourists to Macau. At this moment, according to official statistics, gambling taxes form 70% of Macau's government income.^[9]

However, the gambling industry is also a source of instability in the Macau economy, as the nature of gambling business is not susceptible to technological advancement or productivity growth. The gambling business is still dependent on the prosperity of other Asian economies, especially that of China. Due to Xi Jinping's promise on cracking down of corruption across mainland China, casino profits from across Macau have been reporting a decline in monthly profits^[10] In addition, a proliferation of other gambling venues in the region is drawing the target demographic away. Macau's 2018 grew 13% over the prior year, but this lagged behind the 41% growth in emerging casino markets in Singapore, South Korea, the Philippines and Australia, according to Fitch Ratings. In 2019 casino earnings reached their lowest level in three years.^[11]

Gambling forms[edit]

Casinos[edit]

Macau has 38 casinos (as of 2016), of which the biggest is The Venetian Macao. Twenty-three casinos are located on the Macau Peninsula and ten on Taipa Island. They all operate under a government franchise and under a common set of rules.

The main casino operators in Macau are SJM Holdings, Galaxy Entertainment and Las Vegas Sands with respective revenues of 9.7, 4.8, and 4.2 billion in 2011.^[12]

A wide range of games are available, including roulette, blackjack, baccarat, boule, Sic bo, Fan Tan, keno and slot machines.

Poker was introduced only in August 2007, in an electronic table format at Galaxy Starworld casino. The first live poker tournament was the Asia Pacific Poker Tour Macau event in November 2007. Shortly thereafter, in January 2008, the government of Macau published the official rules for Texas hold 'em poker games in Macau. In February 2008, Grand Lisboa Casino added the first live-dealer cash game tables. In May 2008, 'PokerStars Macau' opened at Grand Waldo Casino. In November 2008, Texas Holdem' Poker opened at Wynn Macau. 'PokerStars Macau' moved to a new location at the Grand Lisboa Casino in March 2009. Today, Wynn Macau, StarWorld, and the Venetian offer live-dealer cash game poker tables.^[13]

Horse racing[edit]

Other than casinos, there is betting at the Macau Jockey Club and the dog-racing Canidrome.

Horse-racing mainly takes place every Tuesday and Saturday or Sunday at the race-course on the Taipa Island of Macau. The race-course has an area of 450,000 square metres and 18,000 seats for gamblers, and is open only for people over 18 years of age.

The Macau Jockey Club was formerly the Macau Trotting Club. In 1991, it was acquired by a consortium led by Stanley Ho. The Macau Jockey Club is one of the largest private employers of Macau with around 1,400 employees and around 1,100 part-timers.

Ways of betting

• On-course betting

There are over 210 betting terminals 'on-course'. All terminals can perform sell and pay functions. Punters may bet in Hong Kong dollars or Macau patacas. Bets are accepted up to the start of each race. Punters may place a bet by oral instructions or by filling a ticket.

• Off-course betting

There are over 80 betting terminals in the Off-Course Betting Centres. 14 Off-course Betting Centres are located in popular districts of Macau and Taipa.

• Internet betting

The Internet betting service commenced on 20 September 2003. Customers can review the Club's internet betting website at www.macauhorsebet.com.

• Telephone services

There are over 600 telephone service terminals and a total of over 38,000 telebet accounts. The winning dividend of account holders may at their instructions be automatically transferred to their bank accounts.

• Fast Access Terminals (FAT)

Launched in June 1997, the personal betting terminal, FAT (Fast Access Terminal) offers betting, calculation of bet units, record tracking of bets, account enquiry, withdrawal instructions and other related information on races such as declaration and race-odds. Close to 1,000 customers are currently using FAT.

• Hong Kong Service Centres

Three service centres are now set up in Hong Kong including Shaukeiwan Service Centre, Sheung Wan Service Centre and Mongkok Service Centre.

Greyhound racing[edit]

Greyhound racing takes place at the Canidrome on Avenida General Castelo Branco. These races are held on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and weekends starting from 7:45 pm and there are 16 games on every racing evenings. Admission is MOP$10 (usable for betting) for the public stand.

Players can bet inside the greyhound racing centre, or in off-course betting centres located in the Hotel Lisboa, Jai-Alai Palace and Kam Pek Casino.

Gambling and society[edit]

The casino industry is viewed by some as harmful to society. A high crime rate was one of the biggest problems that Macau's colonial Portuguese government had to face. Since Macau's return to China's rule in 1999, the public security situation has markedly improved. With the growth of the casino industry, a business called 'bate-ficha' was developed and it is usually run by different triad societies. The bate-ficha business is an element of triad involvement in Macau's gambling industry. Bate-ficha involves selling customers 'dead chips' that cannot be exchanged for cash in the casinos, but only by bate-ficha men or women, who are officially known as 'gaming promoters' or 'middlemen' for a commission.

Triad involvement in Macau casinos makes a serious social impact on the local area. It attracts the attention of Chinese gangsters, whose deadly battles over the fortunes to be made from racketeering and extortion in the territory are a continuing problem. As different triad societies compete for controlled territory in the casinos and on the streets, disputes between societies occur from time to time. These are often settled in violent ways. Even worse, triad societies have grown so powerful in Macau that there was a trend that people tried to seek help from these societies rather than from the police. Although the situation has improved since the 1999 handover to China, the problem is still entrenched in the local area.

Gaming law[edit]

No one under the age of 21 is allowed to gamble.

Detailed law is enforced in Macau to ensure 'qualified operation of gambling' in Macau. The details are listed in Law 16/2001 (regime jurídico da exploração de jogos de fortuna ou azar em casino), and other laws regulating the activity of gaming promoters and credit for gaming.

The Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (known as DICJ) is the main government unit that oversees the operation of different gaming activities.

Under Macau law, it stated that a permit issued by the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau is required for the operation of lotteries sales, lucky draw or similar activities, and the initial procedure in the application on the operation of lotteries sales, lucky draw, or similar activities is to submit a notification to the relevant government department ten days prior to the application.

In the Macau legal system, gaming law is not considered as a branch of law in the traditional sense. Instead, it may be considered as a transversal gathering of a range of legal topics more or less directly related to gaming, including constitutional law, administrative law, tax law, company law, contract law, and criminal law. In this manner, issues of public law as well as private law are of relevance for gaming.

Tax law issues[edit]

The taxation of casino sub/concessionaires is made of a fixed part and a variable part. The variable part falls on the gross gaming revenue. The tax rate is currently of 35%, plus two contributions of up to 2% and 3% for social and economic purposes. The maximum tax is therefore 40%. In addition, a fixed premium is also payable, plus a premium per VIP table, other table, and slot machine. Gaming promoters pay taxes on commissions received.

Contract law issues[edit]

From the perspective of contract law, gaming and betting are contracts which may or may not generate civil or natural obligations for the parties. The matter is regulated in the Civil Code 1999 (art. 1171), which states, drawing from Roman law, that gaming and betting generate natural obligations except in sports competitions and where the law provides otherwise. The problem is that gaming legislation currently does not provide to this effect.

Regarding credit for gaming, Macau law states since 2004 that the granting of credit for casino games of fortune generates civil obligations, which are fully enforceable in Macau courts. Credit for casino games of fortune is defined as any case where chips are passed on to a player without immediate cash payment of such chips; this is an intentionally broad concept. Credit for gaming is regulated by Law no. 5/2004, of 14 June.

Criminal law issues[edit]

From the perspective of criminal law, there are specific criminal offences related to gaming; see Law 8/96/M, of 22 July, and Law 9/96/M, of 22 July. Other criminal law matters are covered by broader laws: the Penal Code and the law on Organized crime. Game cheating is mentioned in art. 6 of Law 8/96/M, of 22 July. In addition, general laws on the prevention and repression of money laundering and the financing of terrorism through casinos apply.

Problem gambling[edit]

As of November 2011, exclusion of players from gambling establishments is voluntary. If the person realises that their gambling activities begin to cause trouble, they can turn to the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau to ban them from entering the casino. The government of Macau is seeking the opinions of the citizens on the possibility of establishing a programme that will allow excluding problem gamblers from all casinos without their consent. The Legislative Assembly is currently^[when?] analyzing the new draft law, which also deals with the problem of exclusion from gambling houses. The law suggests that the person can be excluded from the casino if they submit their own request or approve the request submitted by their relatives.^[15]

Other matters[edit]

Stanley Ho Macau

Competition law matters, and advertising law, as well as the impact of WTO law on gaming, may also be pointed out as part of gaming law. Regarding online gaming, the Macau SAR does not currently grant concessions for online casinos. The current casino concessions only cover land-based gaming, not online gaming.

Academic research and teaching[edit]

The teaching of Macau gaming law started in 2005 the Faculty of Business Administration of the University of Macau, in the undergraduate program of gaming management.Since 2007 it is also included in the master program of international business law offered by the Faculty of Law of the University of Macau [1], in which various theses have already been defended in topics of gaming law.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^ ^abBranigan, Tania (11 May 2011). 'Macau – gaming capital of the world'. The Guardian.
2. ^ ^ab'Macau: The world's gambling capital'. BBC News.
3. ^Riley, Charles (6 January 2014). 'Macau's gambling industry is now 7 times bigger than Vegas'. CNNMoney.
4. ^Godinho, Jorge (2012) 'A history of games of chance in Macau, Part 1 : Introduction', in Gaming Law Review and Economics, Vol. 16, no. 10, p. 552-556, and (2013) 'Part 2 : The foundation of the Macau gaming industry », Gaming Law Review and Economics, Vol. 17, no. 2, p. 107-116.
5. ^ ^abChan, S. S. (2000). The Macau Economy. Macau: Publications Centre, University of Macau. ISBN99937-26-03-6.
6. ^'Macau Gaming Summary'. UNLV Center for Gaming Research. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
7. ^Macau Yearbook 2007. Government Information Bureau of the Macau SAR. 2007. ISBN978-99937-56-09-5.
8. ^'All you need to know, Macau Hotel'. Gambling Info. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
9. ^Bloomberg, Macau Casinos Top Las Vegas as Adelson, Wynn, Battle Stanley Ho, 1 March 2007
10. ^'Macau Gambling decline'. Yahoo Finance. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
11. ^Ese Erheriene (7 May 2019). 'Casino Boom in Asia Pressures Vegas Operators: Regions new venues aim to draw gamblers beyond Macau, U.S. giants' longtime hub'. Wall Street Journal. p. B5.
12. ^'Main casino operators in Macau'. Travel & Gamble Online Magazine. Archived from the original on 24 June 2017.
13. ^'Best Poker Rooms in Macau – Macau Poker Updated Jan 2014'.
14. ^video on www.oceanus.asiaArchived 1 February 2011 at the Wayback Machine
15. ^Macau Daily Times: Gov't considers ban on problem gamblers

Further reading[edit]

• Jorge Godinho, 'Casino Gaming in Macau: Evolution, Regulation and Challenges', in UNLV Gaming Law Journal, vol. 5(1), 2014, pp. 1 ff. [2]
• Jorge Godinho, 'A History of Games of Chance in Macau: Part 1 – Introduction’, in Gaming Law Review and Economics, vol. 16(10), October 2012, pp. 552 ff. [3]
• Jorge Godinho, Macau Business Law and Legal System, LexisNexis, Hong Kong, 2007 (ISBN9789628937271) [4]
• Governo de Macau, O Jogo em Macau, 1985.
• Angela Leong, 'The 'bate-ficha' business and triads in Macau casinos', QUEENSLAND U. OF TECH. L. & JUST., 84 (2002)
• Metaxas Theodore and Folinas Sotiris (2016) 'Gambling Tourism and Economic Development: Some lessons from Macao,' MPRA Paper 72397, University Library of Munich, Germany.

External links[edit]

• Media related to Gambling in Macau at Wikimedia Commons

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