MGM China President and Executive Director Kenneth Feng has acknowledged “a little bit of concern” over recent Chinese social media reports suggesting some key opinion leaders (KOLs) may have crossed the line into promoting gaming, in a candid exchange at the G2E Asia “Asia Gaming Talk: Marketplaces in Motion” panel.
The issue points to a broader structural shift in Macau’s gaming industry. With the junket system effectively dismantled, the traditional buffer between concessionaires and gaming customers has narrowed significantly. Moderator Michael Grimes noted that some KOLs have reportedly been operating as “pseudo-junkets” — introducing players to casinos and capitalising on the referrals — a practice that has triggered pushback in mainland Chinese media.
Feng said MGM follows local Macau law and applicable laws in every jurisdiction where it operates, adding that Beijing has the tools to act when needed. “As long as it’s regarding China’s social stability, China’s central government definitely has a lot of new technologies, new ways to make sure it goes the way that they want,” he said.
He framed the current environment as a maturing of the system rather than a crackdown. The VIP-driven model that defined Macau a decade ago, he argued, reflected an earlier phase of China’s exponential growth. “The country is getting more and more mature, even the governance system,” Feng said, noting that President Xi Jinping has taken action across multiple sectors since 2013, not only on Macau VIP gaming.
Feng pointed to Xi’s December visit to Macau, where the President publicly stated for the first time that he wanted Macau’s gaming industry to grow “healthily and legally.” At the same time, Beijing has tasked the six concessionaires with economic diversification — a mandate that has driven non-gaming investment over the past three to four years, with mixed results.
The sensitivity extends beyond Macau. Walter Power, CEO of The Grand Ho Tram in Vietnam, said his property exercises particular caution when it comes to mainland-facing marketing. “Marketing in China is very sensitive. We want to protect our team and comply with what the Chinese laws are, so we go by that,” Power said.
Feng’s closing message for operators navigating the new environment was direct: “Follow the law, do what we can do, and don’t touch the things that we shouldn’t touch.”
