But while the VIP segment has been rebounding in Macau, experts say the junket industry isn\u2019t likely to grow in the coming year, but it isn’t likely to continue to shrink either.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome of the junkets are simply not fitting the [licence] renewal conditions; while some others just give up,\u201d president of Macau\u2019s Association of Gaming and Entertainment Promoters Kwok Chi Chung told GGRAsia of operators who had recently folded.<\/p>\n
While the major junket operators here have been expanding their operation venues, those smaller ones that have not been able to meet the turnover requirement were just naturally kicked out from the market.\u201d<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\u201cEven if we are seeing a further decrease, it will not be to a great extent,\u201d he added. \u201cThe consolidation amongst the junkets here has already largely stabilised.\u201d<\/p>\n
No Room for Start-Ups<\/strong><\/h2>\nThe junket industry has been undergoing a period of consolidation, particularly in the face of tightened regulations, which means existing operators have now achieved the kind of scale that makes it nearly impossible for new companies to enter the market.<\/p>\n
Speaking at an event organized by the British Business Association of Macao earlier this month, former Hong Kong police chief Steve Vickers said that the crackdown on junkets had ultimately been a good thing for the gambling hub because \u201cit has helped cull a large number of unhelpful\u2026 junket operators with strong triad connections and this squeezed them out of the market.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
While Macau\u2019s casino market has well and truly rebounded from the 2014-16 economic slump, the junket industry, once the oil in its cogs, continues to decline. According to new figures from the enclave\u2019s gambling regulator, DICJ, there are currently 109 licensed junkets operating in the market, representing a 13.5 percent fall from 126 a year […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":68453,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[62,18,13592],"tags":[13639,51],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Macau\u2019s VIP Junket Industry Shrinks for Fifth Consecutive Year<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n