Macau Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng has announced that Mainland China tours can resume and eVisas will once again be issued as the island nation’s government looks to kickstart an economic recovery which will be mainly fueled by gambling tourism.
The local pandemic restrictions saw multiple lockdowns and the forced closure of Macau’s casinos and hotels. The issuing of eVisas was also suspended since the first Covid-related restrictions came into force in 2020.
Speaking at the announcement of the easing of restrictions, the Chief Executive said:
“For the people of Macau, the economy has been greatly affected after the epidemic and Macau is facing a very difficult time.”
Restarting the eVisa system is seen as a key factor in the recovery of the local gambling industry. During the restrictions, Chinese visitors had to return to their home regions to apply for Macau visas in person. During the eVisa suspension, visitors from China dropped from 27.9 million to just 13.1 million
According to the announcement, the eVisa process will restart in a month’s time at which point tours to Macau from China will resume. It’s believed that the first areas to restart tours will be Shanghai, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Fujian, and Jiangsu.
Macau has already reopened gateways for 41 countries. The eVisa system will also reopen for each of these gateways.
The news follows a recent announcement that Macau has opened the seven applications for the six available gambling licenses. A decision is expected on each application by the end of the year.
An experienced iGaming commentator and analyst based in New York City - Jenny reports on regulation and gambling industry news and events.