Following recent discussions about allowing Macau casinos to import dealers, Secretary for Economy and Finance, Francis Tam Pak Yuen yesterday reiterated that the government has no intention of changing its employment policy that requires all casino dealers to be locals. In an industry research note, Union Gaming Research analysts admit “that the employment policy is not likely to change over the near or medium terms”. The analysts, led by Bill Lerner, warn, “this will result in a tighter labour market, especially as additional hotel and gaming supply comes online. “As such, we expect upward pressure on wages to continue, likely in a range of 5 percent to 10 percent annually.” The Union Gaming analysts add “there will be an increase in job hopping between the different operators as new supply will result in unemployment falling below 2 percent.”
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