ALL BETS ARE OFF FOR CITY’S ‘UNTOUCHABLES’
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s high-profile corruption crackdown has deterred high-rolling mainland gamblers from lavish spending on baccarat and other games of fortune.
Mr Xi, who visited Macau last month to mark the 15th anniversary of its handover from Portugal to China, reminded leaders of Beijing’s wish to pursue “appropriately diversified and sustainable economic development”.
He said that “certain deep-seated problems formed over the years have surfaced” and called on Macau authorities to step up its governance.
Earlier this month Macau police carried out one of the city’s biggest prostitution busts, arresting 102 people including Alan Ho, the nephew of Stanley Ho, the ageing billionaire who held Macau’s sole casino license for four decades. Local media outlets published photos of Alan Ho taken away in handcuffs by plainclothes police.
The arrests startled Macau because the ring had operated blatantly for years out of the Ho family’s Hotel Lisboa, where Alan Ho worked as a manager, leading many to believe it had tacit support. Judiciary Police said the syndicate had 2,400 prostitutes on its books and “illegal earnings” worth the equivalent of about 1.6 billion baht.
“We were all surprised because they were in a group of people that usually the government doesn’t dare to touch, but I guess it’s a direct response to Xi Jinping’s instructions,” said Jason Chao, one of the leaders of the Macau Conscience activist group.
Mr Xi’s warning also underscored fears that Macau, population 630,000, faces increased social tension over rising inequality as pay for residents, many of whom work in casinos, fails to keep up with costs, especially housing. Casino staff held an unprecedented series of strikes last year to demand better salaries and working conditions.
Wages have tripled since 2003, said Eric Sautede, a former professor at Macau’s University of St Joseph, “but if you look at everything else it’s times 10, times 11”.
“If you look at the profits of the casinos,” he said, worker disgruntlement “was bound to happen”. Mr Sautede was fired from the university in June for his views critical of the government.