- Macau extends Wing Hing Lottery’s licence until December 31, 2026, continuing its long-standing annual renewal practice for lottery services in the SAR.
- The renewed concession introduces stronger local employment requirements, mandating priority hiring, training of Macau residents, and stricter compliance with labour regulations.
- The move signals a regulatory shift, using gaming concessions not just for revenue but also as a tool to support the local labour market amid slowing lottery sector performance.
The government of Macau has extended the Wing Hing Lottery Company Limited license by a year to provide lottery services for China in Macau until December 31, 2026. Although the governments have long considered renewal of Wing Hing lottery as a yearly routine activity. The significance of this particular renewal has come into action as it has brought a significantly changed focus to the concerns of the government concerning the regulation and development of the gaming sector to suit the Macau labour market. For the first time, the conditions have started to promote local employment.
As a contractual requirement of the new concession, Wing Hing is required to pay a concession fee premium of MOP 500,000, or US$62,300. In addition to this, other differences lie in this new term of concession, including embedding labor aspects within its operational demands. As a concessionaire, this company is expected to work with Macau on issues regarding human resource staffing, give utmost priority to Macau staffing, provide training sessions for Macau staff, and make sure that all operational aspects meet current labor laws and regulations. The reason behind this could pertain to their concern for labor conditions in this portion of their gaming operation.
Wing Hing’s involvement in the Macau lottery industry extends over thirty years. It was granted its first licence to operate lotteries of a Chinese format as far back as 1990, and it can be assumed that it gained significant experience operating within the regulatory framework of Macau. It broadened its scope and introduced betting facilities over telephone and online services in 2004. From 2010 to date, it continues to operate based on an annual renewal formula, allowing it to enjoy significant regulatory supervision.
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From a financial point of view, the recent situation of Wing Hing is also a reflection of the difficulties faced by the lottery sector in general. During 2024, it recorded a net income of MOP301.1 million, which is equivalent to approximately US$37.5 million, showing a small decline of 0.3 percent. The data published by the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau for the first three months of 2025 also reflected the same sentiments.
Gross gaming yield amounted to MOP10 million, which was exactly the same as the previous year. At the same time, the betting turn over decreased by 9.3 percent to MOP39 million. It seems that while revenue has not decreased because of cost-cutting by the company or changes in pricing, there has been a declining trend in participation rates and betting.
The imposition of mandatory local employment provisions within the concession agreement reflects the shift in the Macau government's approach to regulation. Instead of looking at the gaming concession agreement purely as a revenue-making tool, the government tends to treat it as a platform through which it can achieve different purposes, such as employment participation.
Although the annual renewal system provides a degree of stability and predictability to regulation, it also results in a lack of strategic long-term clarity for the concessionaires. The recent renewal indicates the possibility of more demands being placed on the concession agreement, such as those related to employment or local economic development.
