GGRAsia – Gaming industrial hub in Hengqin could be ready in two years

Gaming industrial hub in Hengqin could be ready in two years

May 23, 2014 Newsdesk Latest News, Macau, Top of the deck

A proposed industrial centre for gaming equipment manufacturers in Hengqin Island could be ready in two years, pending government approval, says Jay Chun, chairman of the Macau Gaming Equipment Manufacturers Association.

“We are waiting [for] the Hengqin government to decide,” Mr Chun told GGRAsia on the sidelines of the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) Asia, which finished yesterday in Macau.

The association presented the industrial park proposal to the Macau authorities last year. It was one of the 89 investment proposals by Macau investors for a 4.5-square-kilometre Guangdong-Macau cooperation Industrial park in the neighbouring Hengqin Island.

Of the 89 proposals, the Macau government recommended 33 to the Hengqin authorities for further follow-up. Hengqin authorities will have the final word on which projects get approved. The industrial centre for gaming equipment manufacturers was the project with the lowest score among those recommended by Macau authorities.

A 106-sq-km island, just west of Macau, Hengqin is the mainland’s third district designated a ‘special economic area’ (as opposed to ‘special economic zone’, as with Shenzhen). The other special economic areas are Binhai New Area in Tianjin and Pudong New Area in Shanghai. The Hengqin New Area (pictured) will include industrial, office, residential and tourism locales. The governments of Guangdong, Zhuhai and Macau are the major supporters.

Mr Chun told GGRAsia the Macau Gaming Equipment Manufacturers Association had already met twice with the Hengin authorities to present its project. He said there is neither a deadline for a decision nor any hint on the size of the plot of land that the association could be granted to develop the project.

Mr Chun says “five or six” gaming suppliers have already showed interest to manufacture in Hengqin Island. That adds to LT Game Ltd, controlled by Mr Chun, and a major supplier in Macau of products combining live dealers with electronic table games.