Macau gaming operator Galaxy Entertainment Group has announced a salary increase for eligible team members at Senior Manager grade or below effective from April 1st.
According to a company release, the increase is set to benefit ‘around 98 percent of GEG team members’.
Employees eligible for the increase must have joined GEG before January 1st of this year.
Team members making a monthly base salary (including guaranteed tips) of MOP16,000 ($1,990) or below will receive a monthly increase of MOP500 ($62), while those receiving over MOP16,000 will receive a 2 percent salary increase.
The move comes after Galaxy announced earlier this month that it would grant a discretionary bonus equivalent to one month’s salary to about 97 percent of its team members.
Galaxy is the second of Macau’s gaming operators to grant a salary increase, using similar criteria and amounts applied by Sands China when it announced its salary increase on Monday.
Sands China and Galaxy Macau are the two largest Macau gaming operators by market share and employment.
As of mid-2025, Galaxy Entertainment Group employed approximately 21,300 employees in Macau, Hong Kong, mainland China and overseas.
Macau saw a slight drop in the number of Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) from gaming operators in 2025 when compared to the previous year, totaling 3,603.
According to statistics from the SAR’s Financial Intelligence Unit (GIF), the figure amounted to 73.1 percent of the total.
Across the board, STRs reported during the year were down by 6.1 percent, which the GIF largely attributes to the drop in STRs from the gaming sector. Some 4,925 STRs were registered in 2025, down from 5,245 in 2024.
Financial Institutions flagged 1,008 STRs during the year, compared to 1,097 in 2024, while Other Institutions registered just 314, up minutely from 311 in the previous year.
Of the total STRs, the GIF – under Macau’s Unitary Police Service – forwarded 118 of the STRs to the Public Prosecutions Office, however the data did not indicate which of these were linked to gaming.
Good Morning. A one-trick pony. Nobody has doubted since the liberalization of Macau’s gaming industry that it would dominate the city’s economy. But a new study shows just how much each operator is investing in non-gaming diversification attempts and how reliant the city is on their revenue and employment. Still in Macau, concentration intensified in the last quarter of 2025, with larger operators continuing to expand their dominance. And in Australia, The Star is moving ahead with plans to eliminate its corporate office, pushing accountability to individual properties and cutting jobs.
The dominant role of the gaming industry in Macau’s economy is unquestionable. But a new study shows just how far gaming operators are going to diversify the city’s economy, and how much each one of them has spent so far in order to do so. Operators with a larger footprint are spending more, but also face a larger role in the city’s economic prowess, being pillars of government revenue as well as employment.
The world‑class testing laboratory Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) has announced the promotion of Malvina Mikaelian and Reenesh Mahabeer to Senior Directors of Engineering.
Mikaelian has been with GLI for 22 years and is based in the Las Vegas lab. Over her history with the company, she has opened GLI’s South Africa and Las Vegas labs and has led the technical group through the most dynamic advances in gaming technology.
Commenting on Malvina Mikaelian’s appointment, GLI Vice President of Engineering Andrea Bossard said, “Malvina brings a proven track record of technical leadership, operational excellence, and cross‑functional collaboration. In her new role, she will lead strategic engineering initiatives, strengthen organizational execution, and help drive the next phase of innovation and growth for the global land-based division.”
Mahabeer is based in GLI’s South Africa lab and has been with the company for just under 20 years, advancing from Senior Engineer to his current position as Senior Director of Engineering. He has led his team through multiple changes in the South African gaming landscape, encompassing both land-based and iGaming sectors.
On Mahabeer’s promotion, GLI Vice President of Engineering Ginnie Hollis remarked, “Reenesh is a trusted, exceptional leader driving our global digital initiatives and accelerating innovation in emerging technologies. He combines vast market and technical expertise to deliver global consistency and a world-class experience for our clients, while inspiring peers and empowering his team.”
SOFTSWISS has marked another milestone for its Sportsbook Network Jackpot, awarding a €135,000 prize on 30 December through a network campaign.
This marked a fitting end to 2025, the year when the SOFTSWISS Sportsbook celebrated its 5th anniversary.
The Sportsbook Network Jackpot allows multiple operators to join a shared prize pool, giving bettors across participating brands equal winning opportunities. Powered by the Multi-Prizes feature, a single jackpot fund can be distributed among multiple winners. In this instance, the prize was shared among six players from five participating brands, turning a single jackpot event into a multi-brand celebration.
Operators using the SOFTSWISS Sportsbook can join network campaigns without additional costs, while larger shared prizes help drive higher engagement.
Alexander Kamenetskyi, Head of SOFTSWISS Sportsbook, commented: “This jackpot win perfectly demonstrates how the Sportsbook Network works in practice. By pooling activity across multiple operators, the network increases jackpot value and supports multi-winner outcomes, allowing operators to scale engagement without adding operational complexity. We see strong potential for this format as more partners join future campaigns.”
This December win follows the first-ever Sportsbook Network Jackpot draw earlier in 2025, when a player won over 80,000 euro from an initial 35,000 euro prize pool. These results confirm how network-based jackpot mechanics can scale engagement and deliver tangible value for both operators and players.
Sports AI and data innovator Stats Perform announced that it has been chosen by FIFA as the governing body’s inaugural official distributor for global betting data and betting streaming rights.
The landmark multi-year agreement grants Stats Perform exclusive rights to distribute official betting data and live video streams for selected FIFA properties, including the expanded FIFA World Cup 2026 (48 teams, 104 matches from 2026), FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027, FIFA Futsal World Cup 2028, as well as future editions of the FIFA Women’s Futsal World Cup (2029), FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup (2026 & 2028), FIFA U-20 World Cup (2027 & 2029), and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup (through 2029).
It also grants exclusive betting rights to thousands of matches per season across FIFA member association competitions powered by FIFA+.
Exclusive FIFA World Cup 2026and FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027 betting data rights
Stats Perform’s renowned RunningBall team will collect and exclusively distribute ultrafast official FIFA betting data to licensed sports betting operators for modelling, trading, settlement, and in-play front-end use, for the competitions covered in the agreement. Its globally trusted Opta team will exclusively provide official player statistics, insights, live scores, and match trackers to sportsbooks.
Exclusive FIFA World Cup 2026and FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027 live betting streaming video rights
Stats Perform will also serve as an official distributor of live FIFA betting match video streams to customers of licensed sports betting operators in selected territories. This includes exclusive distribution of FIFA World Cup 2026 and FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027 via Stats Perform’s award-winning, AI-enhanced Bet LiveStreams service.
Romy Gai, Chief Business Officer at FIFA, said: “We are delighted to partner with Stats Perform, a global leader in sports data. This innovative partnership will create great opportunities to deliver official products for the benefit of the game and its fans.”
Additionally, Stats Perform’s Integrity team will provide support to FIFA’s integrity unit regarding FIFA+ Member Association content covered in the partnership.
Carl Mergele, Chief Executive Officer at Stats Perform added: “FIFA competitions represent the pinnacle of the world’s biggest game. Our clients will be delighted we’re able to add FIFA competitions to our Opta and RunningBall official betting data portfolio, and our innovative, AI-enriched Bet LiveStreams service. We share FIFA’s vision to help the magic of the beautiful game be felt more deeply, by more fans, worldwide.”
Official FIFA ultrafast betting data and betting player statistics join an extensive portfolio of exclusive data rights at Stats Perform, whose Opta and RunningBall data is trusted by media, teams, fans and sportsbooks worldwide.
Exclusive betting streaming video rights to FIFA competitions will form part of Stats Perform’s “Bet LiveStreams” round-the-clock video betting streaming coverage for licensed sportsbooks, which also includes Spain’s LaLiga, England’s Football League, WTA tennis, FIBA basketball and many more.
Wynn Resorts (Macau) S.A. earned the titles of “HRLead Leading Brand in Human Resources and Talent Development” and “Leading Brand in Social Responsibility and Innovative ESG Practices” at the 2025 5th National Human Resources Innovation Competition.
These awards demonstrate authoritative industry recognition of the company’s outstanding achievements in talent cultivation and development, corporate social responsibility, and sustainable development.
The National Human Resources Innovation Competition is recognized as an authoritative event in the human resources industry. It is jointly organized by the CCOIC Human Resource Management Commission and HRLead, and co-hosted by business associations in Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, and the Guangdong Human Resources Standardization Committee.
Upholding the country’s strategy of promoting high-quality economic development in 2025, the competition this year actively responded to the call for developing “new technologies, new industries, new business formats, and new models,” supporting the transformation and upgrade of the human resource service industry and the cultivation of new quality productive forces. The competition comprised six categories and attracted over 500 entries from across the country since its launch in October last year. A total of 220 award-winning cases were selected following multiple rounds of rigorous screening and evaluation by experts.
The “HRLead Leading Brand in Human Resources and Talent Development” award serves as a testament to the success of the Wynn Local Development Program. Co-run by Wynn and the Labour Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government, the program adopts a “hire and train” approach, providing Macao residents, particularly young people, with specialized training lasting 12-36 months. It incorporates interdepartmental roster arrangements and international standards, helping the trainees build their skills from the fundamentals and gradually develop into professional talent.
To date, the program has nurtured 160 trainees, facilitating their successful cross-disciplinary transition. Over 80% of trainees have received promotions after completing the program, which reflects the program’s contribution to enhancing the international competitiveness of Macao’s integrated tourism and leisure industry.
Wynn was also awarded the “Leading Brand in Social Responsibility and Innovative ESG Practices” in recognition of its innovative achievements in fulfilling corporate social responsibility. As an international company rooted in Macao, Wynn recognizes employees as a crucial asset and the core of its social responsibility and has integrated their health and well-being into its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) development strategy. Since 2024, Wynn has actively supported the Macao SAR Government’s Healthy Enterprise Program by activating the Wynn Healthy Enterprise Program, rolling out a series of measures to introduce the concept of healthiness into team members’ daily work and life.
Over the past two years, since the launch of the program, Wynn has hosted over 100 health activities with over 50,000 attendances recorded in total. The company has also partnered with different government departments, medical institutions, and social organizations to promote a health-oriented culture both internally and in the community, establishing itself as an industry exemplar of innovation in “proactive health management.”
Always regarding talent cultivation and employee well-being as key to its sustainability, Wynn has been actively collaborating with all sectors of society to build an all-round career development platform and a healthy corporate culture together. Looking forward, Wynn will continue to enhance its healthy enterprise strategy and intensify efforts in nurturing talent, thus contributing to the long term and sustainable growth of Macao’s tourism industry.
Macau’s six gaming concessionaires have made measurable progress in expanding non-gaming businesses and supporting economic diversification since the new Gaming Law took effect, but the city’s public finances and employment base remain overwhelmingly dependent on the casino industry, according to an academic study published recently.
The study, titled An Assessment of Macau Gaming Companies’ Social Responsibility Performance in 2023–2024, was authored by Zeng Zhonglu, Huang Ziying, and Zeng Jia and published in Global Gaming & Tourism Research, an academic journal of the Center for Gaming and Tourism Studies at Macao Polytechnic University (UPM). It assesses how the six concessionaires fulfilled their social responsibility obligations during the first two years of the new concession cycle, with a focus on fiscal contributions, employment, and non-gaming development.
According to the research, the six gaming operators paid a combined MOP164 billion ($20.4 billion) in taxes and fees to the Macau SAR government in 2023 and 2024. This accounted for about 82 percent of the government’s recurrent revenue and roughly 76 percent of total public revenue during the same period, underscoring the continued dominance of gaming in Macau’s fiscal structure.
‘The data clearly show that the gaming industry remains the core pillar of public finance and employment in Macau,’ wrote the authors in the study, adding that the overall level of industrial concentration remains high despite ongoing diversification efforts.
Among the six operators, Sands China was the largest contributor to government revenue during the two-year period, with total payments of MOP41.1 billion ($5.1 billion), representing about 25.1 percent of the industry total. Galaxy Entertainment Group ranked second with MOP30 billion ($3.7 billion), followed by MGM China with MOP25.4 billion ($3.2 billion), Melco Resorts & Entertainment with MOP24 billion ($3 billion), Wynn Macau with MOP22.9 billion ($2.9 billion), and SJM Holdings with MOP20.6 billion ($2.6 billion).
Employment and non-gaming revenue show progress
The study also highlighted the sector’s role as a major employer. On average, the six concessionaires employed nearly 78,000 Macau residents annually in 2023 and 2024, representing about 27.3 percent of the city’s total local workforce. Sands China and SJM Holdings each accounted for roughly a quarter of gaming-related local employment, reinforcing the industry’s importance to household incomes and social stability.
At the same time, the research documented tangible growth in non-gaming activities. Total non-gaming revenue generated by the six concessionaires reached approximately MOP70.8 billion ($8.8 billion) over 2023 and 2024, with meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE), entertainment performances, hotels, and related facilities accounting for the largest shares.
Sands China again led the industry in absolute terms, recording about MOP27.6 billion ($3.4 billion) in non-gaming revenue over the two years, or roughly 39 percent of the industry total. Galaxy followed with MOP12.2 billion ($1.5 billion), while Wynn Macau generated MOP10.6 billion ($1.3 billion). Melco, MGM China, and SJM reported smaller but still significant non-gaming contributions.
‘Non-gaming businesses have already shown substantive growth,’ indicates the study, citing the steady rise in revenue from conventions, entertainment, hotels, and cultural offerings. ‘However, an increase in non-gaming revenue does not mean that Macau’s industrial structure has already undergone a fundamental transformation,’ warn the academics.
The authors emphasized that while non-gaming income is expanding, its scale remains modest relative to gaming, and the city’s fiscal and employment dependence on casinos remains largely unchanged. They warned that diversification should be assessed not only by revenue growth, but also by whether new sectors can develop into independent and sustainable economic pillars.
Investment commitments under the new concession cycle
Beyond revenue and employment, the paper examined concessionaires’ investment commitments under the new contracts. The six operators initially pledged a combined MOP118.8 billion ($14.8 billion) in investment over the 10-year concession period, with more than 90 percent earmarked for non-gaming projects. After Macau’s gross gaming revenue exceeded MOP180 billion ($22.4 billion) in 2023, the contracts triggered an additional 20 percent investment requirement, lifting total committed investment to about MOP140.5 billion ($17.5 billion).
As of the end of 2024, the six gaming concessionaires had completed about 22 percent of the total investment commitments under the new concession contracts. Progress varied among operators, with Galaxy Entertainment Group (GEG) recording the highest completion rate at around 33 percent, followed by Sands China at 25 percent and Melco Resorts & Entertainment at 24 percent. SJM Holdings had completed approximately 21 percent of its pledged investment, while MGM China and Wynn Macau each reported completion rates of about 10 percent.
The study noted that differences in investment progress largely reflect variations in project readiness and implementation timelines. Some concessionaires had projects already under construction before the start of the new concession period, allowing post-2023 spending to be treated as a continuation of existing developments. Others required more time to initiate new projects following the signing of concession contracts, resulting in slower completion ratios.
The researchers cautioned that lower completion rates do not necessarily indicate weaker compliance. Part of the pledged commitments includes spending on overseas promotion, community revitalization, and event programming, which are not classified as capital investment under accounting standards and therefore are not reflected in reported completion figures. As a result, the study said investment progress should be assessed in conjunction with project type and broader economic impact, rather than viewed in isolation.
Soccabet has deployed QTech Games’ QTech Hybrid retail solution across more than 200 outlets throughout Ghana.
Founded in 2015, Soccabet is a Tier-1 brand in the growing Ghana marketplace, and already a Top 3 digital operator in this territory, thanks to its burgeoning online presence. However, this new retail deal with QTech Games has now confirmed Soccabet as Ghana’s largest retail operator by far, also joining up the retail and digital experience via this agile and forward-thinking software from QTech.
Ekaterina Mayorova
Ekaterina Mayorova, QTech Games’ Head of Region for Africa, said: “It’s an honour to have been chosen by a brand as respected and recognisable as Soccabet to scale their retail operations across Ghana, and also join them up with their significant online presence. At QTech, we put a premium on understanding markets at a hyper-local level, alongside bridging that gap between retail and online channels, to define a gateway to success in this nuanced betting ecosystem. Which is why we’ve created, and continue to refine, QTech Hybrid – our transformative retail solution which speaks to brands which still enjoy a high share of retail business coupled to an agent-based structure.
“It’s just the latest example of our broader effort to elevate the end-user experience by seamlessly marrying online and offline. This trademark ingenuity is also another sign of our commitment to under-served regions in developing products that have a high local demand, wherever you set your scene on the map. This system is already proving a game-changer, revolutionizing the gaming experience for our partners’ players.”
Henrik Sandin, Product Owner of QTech Hybrid, added: “It all started back in the pandemic when retailers were forced to close their shops, and were losing their sources of revenue since they were not allowed to accept patrons. As a result, many operators contacted us to find out how they could continue operating their business by migrating online, and consequently, the Hybrid concept was born: keep existing business afloat, while bringing them online and get the best of both worlds in the future.
“Now, six years later, QTech Hybrid has evolved into a product that far exceeds what the retail business was originally doing, thanks to new innovations like cross-channel campaigns. We reduced the importance of the terminal, as you now can use your own device and are not vendor-locked. We update our lobby with on average one new game per day, so there’s always something new for players to discover. Each terminal houses 10,000 games, while income decline due to stagnant games is now a thing of the past. Lowering operational costs and increasing profits make QTech Hybrid a very appealing product for struggling retailers, or those simply looking to extend their reach across multiple platforms, providing the flexibility to operate both land-based and online through the AMS.”
Imad Hawwach, Managing Director of Soccabet, also shared: “Soccabet is dedicated to corralling the best of market-leading technology and aligning it with the best of Ghanaian culture. And this collaboration with QTech achieves that over the diverse demands of our huge retail estate. They understand that our customers expect the best gaming experience possible, and we believe that this unique Hybrid solution, which also features QTech’s high-quality and diverse portfolio of games, will help us deliver just that across all channels. Their software, allied to a collaborative way of working, has now placed us in pole position to navigate the near-future on both casino and sportsbook, at a consequential moment for the company as we prepare for the FIFA World Cup in June.”
QTech Hybrid equips players across Africa and other emerging markets where QTech is the leading game aggregator, with a seamless switch from traditional retail to digital and back again. It’s a software service that links QTech Games’ AI-powered casino lobby (a leading game-personalisation engine known as QTech Play) to a land-based (retail) management system and a state-of-the-art integrated AMS (Agent Management System) to manage both retail outlets and agents. This allows operators to scale their brick-and-mortar operation online. QTech Hybrid simplifies transactions by enabling deposits, withdrawals, and gameplay while allowing access to players both in-store and on personal devices.
Ghanaian customers are increasingly calling for betting experiences that are not only functional but also convenient to use, and personalised to their preferred betting proclivities. Consequently, QTech Games and Soccabet have aligned their complementary skills to deliver a coherent and effortless user experience and optimised journey that exports to any environment of channel, alongside a flexible spread of content that is both locally authentic and appealing to the next generation of players.
This partnership will also explore new cross-sell opportunities between sportsbook and casino, with next summer’s football World Cup on the horizon, always a key acquisition and retention driver for global sportsbooks, but above all in Africa where soccer dominates.
Macau’s gaming market is showing clear signs of renewed concentration, with the three largest concessionaires strengthening their grip on gross gaming revenue in the fourth quarter of 2025, even as the industry continues to navigate structural adjustments, according to a recent study by CLSA.
In a January sector outlook, CLSA analyst Jeffrey Kiang highlighted that Galaxy Entertainment, Sands China and MGM China recorded year-on-year gains in both overall gross gaming revenue (GGR) market share and table GGR share in 4Q25, reinforcing a ‘share leaders’ dominance’ trend in the world’s largest casino hub .
The report estimates that Macau’s total GGR rose 15 percent yearly in the quarter to about MOP66 billion ($8.23 billion), lifting sector EBITDA by 16 percent to approximately $2.2 billion. Against that backdrop, CLSA noted that Galaxy, Sands China and MGM China were the main beneficiaries of market share reallocation, while smaller operators lagged.
Sands China’s recovery was particularly notable. CLSA’s channel checks showed the operator’s table GGR share climbed to around 24–24.5 percent in 4Q25, up from roughly 21–24 percent a year earlier, with its overall GGR market share rebounding to close to 25 percent.
Galaxy and MGM China also expanded their table and total GGR shares compared with 4Q24, supported by stronger mass-market performance and favorable competitive dynamics.
CLSA attributed part of the share shift in the quarter to structural changes within the market, including the continued exit of satellite casinos. The closure of the venues has redirected demand toward large, integrated resorts, accelerating what the broker described as a renewed concentration trend.
As CLSA put it, the quarter highlighted ‘healthy signs’ of consolidation that favor operators with scale, diversified property portfolios and stronger balance sheets.
Only four operators expected to declare final dividends
The report also pointed to a growing divergence in dividend prospects among Macau’s concessionaires, describing a potential ‘dividend watershed.’ CLSA expects only four operators — Galaxy Entertainment, MGM China, Sands China and Wynn Macau — to declare final dividends for the 2025 financial year.
According to the study, Galaxy and MGM China are best positioned to further raise payout ratios, citing their solid cash positions and limited near-term expansionary capital expenditure. CLSA said Galaxy’s dividend capacity is supported by its sizeable net cash position, while MGM China could lift its payout ratio to better align with peers.
By contrast, Sands China’s dividends were described as being ‘highly dependent on free cash flow’, with payout sustainability linked closely to operating cash generation after capital expenditure and financing costs. Wynn Macau is expected to maintain a relatively steady dividend, though CLSA noted limited guidance from the company.
