The Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) announced in a statement yesterday that Melco will close its Mocha Grand Dragon slot-machine parlour in Taipa for good after midnight on Monday next week.
The slot-machine parlour located in Grand Dragon Hotel is one of Melco’s current five Mocha slot-machine parlours that are not housed on its own premises.
Yesterday’s DICJ announcement came after the Kuong Fat slot-machine parlour in Zape, one of Melco’s then six Mocha slot-machine parlours not housed on its own premises, closed for good in September. This slot-machine parlour was located in the Kuong Fat Commercial Centre office building in Zape.
Mocha Royal slot-machine parlour, according to government announcements in June, is scheduled to close for good by December 31 this year. This parlour is located in Hotel Royal.
Currently, a Mocha slot-machine parlour is housed on Melco’s own premises, namely the one in the Altira Macau casino-hotel in Taipa.
Concerning the other three Mocha slot-machine parlours not housed on Melco’s own premises, namely Golden Dragon, Inner Harbour, and Sintra, Melco decided to continue operating them after December 31 this year through the hiring of management companies, according to June’s government announcements.
According to the gaming law’s newly amended version, all casinos and slot-machine parlours must be housed in premises that are owned by their respective gaming concessionaires.
After the three-year transition period stipulated by the new legislation amending the gaming law, which is scheduled to end on December 31 this year, all slot-machine parlours not housed on premises owned by the respective gaming concessionaires must close, unless the concessionaires choose to hire “management companies” to operate the parlours.
This file photo taken in July this year shows a man crossing the road outside the Mocha Grand Dragon slot-machine parlour in Taipa. – Photo: Maria Cheang Ut Meng
