Casino Governance in Macao: Dimensions and Comparisons with Singapore

The development of the casino industry in Macao and Singapore has been attracting substantial interest from both the academic sector and overseas casino operators. Extending from earlier academic efforts to account for the rise of casino capitalism, this article aims to examine the emergence, evolution and dimensions of casino governance with regard to these two jurisdictions. The article compares and contrasts the salient features of casino governance in Macao and Singapore in terms of the recruitment and management of casino staff, casino-society relations, crime control, casino-junkets relations and casino-government interactions. Casino governance in Macao has performed better in managing casino staff harmoniously, dealing with employees’ unions and society skilfully, and maintaining partnerships with the Macao government. However, in terms of crime control and relationships with junkets, casino governance in Singapore has developed a stronger regulatory capacity than that in Macao.