The Secretary for Economy and Finance Francis Tam Pak Yuen said yesterday there is little supply available for new gaming tables until next year. The number of live gaming tables at Macau’s casinos reached 5,498 by the end of June, just two units below the official 5,500 cap, in-place until next year. Mr Tam’s comments raise questions regarding the opening of Sands Cotai Central’s second phase by Sands China Ltd, scheduled for September 20. It will add a second casino with a capacity for 200 mass tables, as well as 1,300 slot units. The problem is where will the tables come from. Last month, the company’s chairman Sheldon Adelson admitted in a conference call that there would be some difficulties in having all the 200 new tables available on day one. “On September 20, we will not have all of those, but we will be getting them throughout the rest of the year,” Mr Adelson said, adding Sands China will have to shift tables around among its casinos. Yesterday, Mr Tam also ensured that the Office for Personal Data Protection will dully investigate the alleged unauthorized data transfer of files previously stored on the office computers of dismissed former chief executive Steven Jacobs, by Sands China from Macau to the United States. Mr Tam said that the local authorities would not tolerate any irregularities.
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