New DICJ Director Adriano Ho pledges to “serve with integrity”   

The inauguration ceremony for the new Director of Macau’s Gaming of Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ), Adriano Ho, was held on Wednesday, with the former security advisor pledging to “serve the public with integrity” while monitoring and supervising Macau’s gaming industry.

The ceremony was officiated by the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Lei Wei Nong. The Secretary expressed his confidence in the new DICJ Director, underlining the fact Mr Ho brings with him extensive experience and professional competence in monitoring gaming activities.

Ho, a key advisor to Macau’s Secretary for Security, Wong Sio Chak since 2014, was previously head of the Macao Sub-Bureau of the China National Central Bureau of INTERPOL from 2004 to 2010, head of the Judiciary Police Criminal Investigation Department from 2010 to 2012 and head of the Gaming-related and Economic Crimes Investigation Department from 2012 to 2014.

He promised at his inauguration to implement the SAR’s governance, to strengthen the application of information technology in his daily works to enhance efficiency, and to further improve the internal management of the department.

SJM appoints Frank McFadden as new Chief Operating Officer

SJM Holdings has named long-time executive Frank McFadden as its new Chief Operating Officer.

According to an internal memo sent to SJM staff, McFadden, who has served as the company’s President of Joint Ventures and Business Development since 2006, will replace Louis Ng who stepped down from the role on Tuesday.

A former amateur boxer and professional rugby union player, the 63-year-old Irishman first landed in Macau in late 2004 to run Sands Macao before being lured to SJM just two years later to oversee the launch of Grand Lisboa.

He has since established himself not only as a key member of SJM’s senior management team but one of the highest ranking Macau-based westerners in the industry.

His new role will see him take overall responsibility for casino operations at SJM’s peninsula properties Grand Lisboa, Casino Lisboa, Ponte 16 and Jai Alai.

The appointment of McFadden as COO comes as somewhat of a surprise given rumors that he may have been considering retirement. However, having already navigated the complexities of SJM’s inner machinations for well over a decade – and earned the respect of his peers in the process – he could also prove the perfect elixir for a company in desperate need of a spark.

Having seen its share of Macau GGR fall from 21.7% just five years ago to a new low of just 13.3% in the most recent quarter, SJM also finds itself facing boardroom uncertainty following a January 2019 power play by Pansy Ho, daughter of company founder Dr Stanley Ho, that saw her take command of a controlling interest in parent company STDM.

Dr Ho passed away 15 days ago aged 98.

In a boardroom boasting a Chairman (Daisy Ho), two Co-Chairmen (Angela Leong and Timothy Fok) and a Vice Chairman (Ambrose So), perhaps McFadden is seen as the one candidate able to provide some clarity to the marketplace in this time of immense uncertainty amid the backdrop of COVID-19.

Lui Che Woo hoping borders reopen this month as Galaxy’s daily expenses reach US$2.8 million

Galaxy Entertainment Group Chairman Lui Che Woo has expressed his desire to see border restrictions between Macau and Guangdong Province eased within a month as losses for the Macau resort operator and its peers continue to mount.

While Galaxy is considered to be the healthiest of all six Macau gaming concessionaires when it comes to available liquidity, the company revealed that daily expenditure during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has seen visitation into Macau slow to a near standstill due to mandatory quarantine measures imposed upon anyone crossing back into Guangdong Province, had reached US$2.8 million.

“The suspension of casinos surely impacted our business greatly,” Lui told Hong Kong media following GEG’s annual general meeting for shareholders.

“It is hard to calculate our loss during the pandemic, but we must follow and respect the government policies in preventing the spread.”

Lui admitted that Galaxy had previously expected border restrictions to be significantly eased on 7 June before an outbreak in Hong Kong forced a delay to implementation of an anticipated “travel bubble” between the three jurisdictions, including Macau and Guangdong. In the meantime, said Lui’s son and Galaxy Vice Chairman Francis Lui, the group was prepared for borders to open in the near future and was doing its best to control costs. Construction work on Galaxy Macau Phases 3 and 4 is continuing, he added.

Asked whether the Macau government should consider extending the gaming licenses of Macau’s concessionaires, all of which are due to expire in June 2022, due to the impact of COVID, the elder Lui replied, “I believe the Macau government understands the current situation in Macau and will deal with it fairly.”

On the topic of the controversial new National Security Law proposed for Hong Kong by mainland China, Lui – who is also Chairman of Hong Kong property development giant K. Wah International Holdings Ltd – said he hoped it would not harm the city’s stable economy.

“Hong Kong is a city of economic prosperity and politics is a concern for very, very few people. General people just want to sustain their lives,” he said.

新任博監局局長何浩瀚承諾必定「廉潔奉公」

新任博彩監察協調局局長何浩瀚的就職儀式於週三舉行，這名前保安司司長承諾定必「廉潔奉公」，竭盡所能地做好監察及監督的工作。

儀式由經濟財政司司長李偉農主持，李偉農表示對新博監局長有信心，強調何浩瀚對監察博彩場所活動擁有豐富的經驗和專業能力。

何浩瀚自2014年起擔任保安司司長黃少澤的辦公室顧問，於2004至2010年間曾為司警國際刑警組織中國國家中心局澳門支局副督察及負責人（處長）。2010至2012年間為司警刑事調查廳廳長，2012至2014年為司警博彩及經濟罪案調查廳廳長。

何浩瀚在就職儀式上承諾定必貫徹落實特區政府的施政理念，並會在日常工作中會強化科技資訊的應用，提昇工作效率，同時進一步完善部門的內部管理。

澳博任命高管Frank McFadden為新任營運總裁

據澳博發給員工的內部備忘錄顯示，麥輝霆(Frank McFadden) 將接任週二卸任的吳志誠擔任營運總裁（COO）。麥輝霆自2006年以來一直擔任該公司合資及業務發展總裁。

這位63歲的愛爾蘭人曾是一名業餘拳擊手和職業橄欖球聯盟球員。2004年他初到澳門負責金沙賭場的運營。兩年之後被澳博聘請，負責新葡京酒店的開業。

此後，他不僅成為澳博高級管理團隊的重要成員之一，並且也是業內職位最高的在澳西方人之一。

擔任新職務後，麥輝霆將全面負責新葡京、葡京酒店、澳門十六浦度假村、回力酒店的賭場運營。

此番任命頗有些出乎意料，因為有傳言稱麥輝霆可能一直在考慮退休。然而在過去十多年間完美駕馭了錯綜複雜的澳博的內部關係並在此過程中贏得同行的尊敬之後，對於一間急需要刺激的公司而言，他也可能是一劑完美的靈丹妙藥。

澳博在澳門博彩總收入中所佔份額從五年前的21.7％降至最近一個季度的新低13.3％。此外在公司創始人之女何超瓊自2019年1月掌權之後（她此後亦掌控了母公司澳娛的控股權），澳博同樣面臨著董事會的不確定性。

何鴻燊博士於15天前過世，享年98歲。

在一個主席是何超鳳、聯席主席是梁安琪及霍震霆、及副主席蘇樹輝的董事會中，或許麥輝霆被認為是能在當下新冠疫情所帶來巨大不確定性的背景之下，能夠在這段時間在市場運營方面提供一些清晰思路的候選人之一。

呂志和盼月內通關，銀河每日開支達280萬美元

銀河娛樂集團主席呂志和稱，希望澳門與廣東省之間的口岸限制可於一個月內解除，因為集團和其他博企的損失正與日俱增。

在可動用的流動資金方面，銀河被認為是所有六大博企中最穩健的一家，但集團亦透露每天的支出達到280萬美元，在新冠肺炎疫情期間，由於旅客在過境返回廣東省時需接受強制檢疫措施，導致訪澳遊客放緩至幾乎停滯狀態。

呂志和在出席集團週年股東大會後向香港傳媒表示：「（賭場）停業影響好大。發生疫情，當然要跟政府行，尊重政府決定。損失暫時未計得到。」

呂志和表示，本以為關口可於6月7日重開，但香港新一輪疫情令粵港澳三地的開關延遲。同時，呂志和的兒子、銀娛副主席呂耀東表示，集團已做好準備工作迎接開關，並繼續推動銀河第三及第四期工程建設。

被問到現時博企牌照於2022年6月到期後，澳門政府是否應考慮延長，呂志和表示「認為澳門政府明白目前社會情形，會公平處理」。

在內地即將為香港立法國安法的議題上，呂志和作為香港地產巨擘嘉華集團的主席，表示希望不會影響香港的經濟穩定。「香港是經濟繁榮的城市，政治係好少數好少數人去想，一般大家都係希望搵兩餐，日子舒服一點。」