In Beijing-style politics, a gesture often speaks louder than words. That is why analysts say the unexpected visits by a high-ranking mainland official to several hotel-casinos in Macau, believed to be the first of their kind, were anything but spontaneous, Macau Business reports in its July issue.

Last month, while in Macau on a three-day working trip, the director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of the State Council, Wang Guangya, visited the Grand Lisboa and Galaxy Macau hotel-casinos. He also had dinner at MGM Macau.

He did not visit any of the casinos’ gaming floors.

University of Macau gaming expert Ricardo Siu says Mr Wang’s visits confirm the importance of casino gaming to the local economy and that Beijing has learned to accept this.

The head of Union Gaming Group’s Macau subsidiary, Grant Govertsen, considers it possible that Mr Wang’s visit is a sign that Beijing is not thinking about making it more difficult for mainlanders to visit Macau in the short run.

Gaming law expert Jorge Godinho remarks that Mr Wang’s visits were “unusual”.

In his blog Mr Godinho says argues: “More broadly, the fact that Mr Wang actually visited some casinos, a rare or even remarkable step by itself, is clearly a sign of support to the Macau gaming industry.”

Read the full version of this article in the July issue of Macau Business magazine, now available at selected newsstand outlets in Macau, Hong Kong bookshops, by subscription and at partner hotels, restaurants, airlines and ferry carriers in Macau.