Macau casino regulator to add 65 staff, mostly inspectors

January 15, 2025

Macau casino regulator to add 65 staff, mostly inspectors

Macau’s casino regulator, the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ), will be adding 65 staff in 2025, with most of the newcomers in ‘inspector’ roles.

This is part of Legislative Assembly report on Macau’s financial-year 2025 budget plan. The report outlines the explanation to the assembly of the government’s expected revenue and public spending items for this year.

However, the report did not mention the current total number of employees of the Macau casino regulator. The additional workers were needed for “effective implementation” of casino inspection duties in the current gaming concession period that started on January 1, 2023, the report said.

The assembly’s opinion report noted that the 2025 recruitments are part of the gaming bureau’s restructuring effort.

According to a new regulation pertaining to the DICJ’s structure, which went into effect on June 22, 2021, the gaming bureau’s workforce would expand by approximately 139 percent over a period of time, from 192 to 459.

Appointment of acting director

About a week ago, Deputy Director Lio Chi Chong was appointed as the acting director of Macau’s gaming regulator, the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ), as reported by the city government’s Official Gazette.

The announcement noted that on 26 December last year, Lio was appointed the Acting Director of Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau. Lio was appointed to the interim role by Secretary for Economy and Finance Tai Kin Yip.

Among Lio’s primary responsibilities is signing official documents related to contracts and agreements within the scope of DICJ duties. His duties include overseeing the regulatory framework govering the operations of all casinos, gaming establishments, and related entities within the region.

The appointment of Lio Chi Chong as acting director comes amid a larger reshuffling of Macau’s government under new Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai. This reshuffle, which took place in late December 2024, included several high-profile appointments.

On 20 December, a list of Macau’s principal officials announced by the State Council was released. As per the list, Adriano Marques Ho, who served as DICJ Director for four-and-a-half years since June 2020, was reassigned to the post of Macau Customs Commissioner.

However, his former position remained vacant as no new head of Macau’s gaming regulator was announced. Outgoing DICJ director Ho replaced Paulo Martins Chan, who is believed to have stepped down from his role due to a bribery incident that happened in 2013.

Till date, a successor for Ho is yet to be announced, and Chong has been named the acting director of the bureau.

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