During a plenary session of the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, Macau’s top official, Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng, reiterated that the Macau Jockey Club (MJC) land would not be used for gaming purposes.
When answering questions from Legislative Assembly members regarding government policy and social issues, Ho Iat Seng was asked by lawmaker Ella Lei whether there are plans to use the Jockey Club land in the short and medium term to build facilities for sports and entertainment events.
Ho Iat Seng pointed out that the land for the racecourse was only handed over to the government on April 1st and that there have been no plans for its use so far. But he noted that casinos and residential buildings would not be built there.
He confirmed that the racecourse will be included in the government’s long-term planning, including its use for sports, performances, etc. The government will also have to consider a series of issues, such as whether it should be invested in by the government or left to others to invest.
The racecourse covers an area of 3.35 million square meters, and the official believes that it will take a long time to excavate the basement.
The Chief Executive believes that it will take one or two years to have an internationally qualified company carry out the planning and then submit it to the public for evaluation.
He emphasized that good land in the city center must be used well, hoping that the racecourse would become a multi-functional venue in the future.
The Macau Jockey Club officially shut down on April 1st, and the operator has until April 2025 to revert all facilities to the government. According to the latest update, nearly 150 horses are going to be transferred to neighboring Zhuhai for quarantine.
