Macao government expands Community Rewards with six gaming concessionaires
Regulation3 min read
Macao authorities announced an expanded Community Rewards programme on 28 October, with the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau coordinating the participation of six gaming concessionaires. From 1 November to 31 December, eligible participants can receive electronic voucher packages worth 50, 100 or 150 Macao patacas, usable at more than one thousand participating businesses; each person can receive the benefit up to twice a week.
Macao's government announced an expanded Community Rewards programme on 28 October 2026, with the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) coordinating the participation of the six gaming concessionaires that operate the city's integrated gaming and entertainment complexes. The programme was announced by the Office for Economic and Technological Development, the DICJ, the Tourism Office, the Sports Office and the Macau Productivity and Technology Transfer Centre.
From 1 November to 31 December, participants in participating activities can receive a single-use code, used through selected electronic payment tools, to obtain voucher packages worth a total of 50, 100 or 150 Macao patacas. Each person can receive the benefit up to twice a week. The vouchers can be used at more than one thousand participating businesses, located mainly near tourist bus stops in the city's neighbourhoods, including restaurants, retail shops, cultural and creative businesses and services aimed at residents.
Access to the incentives is tied to tourism, cultural and sports activities, including use of the dedicated neighbourhood buses, completion of the city's historical itineraries, a visit to the Macao Grand Prix Museum and possession of air or sea tickets to reach Macao. Visitors to the Macao Food Festival who reach the required spending threshold, spectators of the motor racing Grand Prix and candidates sitting certain professional examinations organised by the Macau Productivity and Technology Transfer Centre can also take part.
The expansion coincides with events on Macao's tourism and sports calendar. During the 26th Macao Food Festival, scheduled from 20 November to 6 December, visitors who spend at least 100 patacas can present original receipts at designated distribution points and receive a card dedicated to the initiative. A similar mechanism is planned for the 73rd Macao Grand Prix, from 19 to 22 November, when staff will distribute the cards to ticket holders. The Tourism Office will also distribute promotional cards to visitors to the Grand Prix Museum and to travellers holding air or sea tickets to Macao, alongside information campaigns on institutional channels and social media.
The programme also links to training and professional certification tourism. The Macau Productivity and Technology Transfer Centre, which in September opened a new international centre for professional examinations at the World Trade Centre, will distribute promotional cards from 7 November to 31 December to candidates taking the certification and skills assessment tests it organises. The initiative is intended to attract visitors from mainland China as well, encouraging candidates and family members to use hotel, retail and restaurant services in the neighbourhoods.
The concessionaires will contribute to spreading the initiative through their facilities and promotional channels, and will make staff available to explain participation methods and the opportunities offered by the programme to residents and visitors. Particular attention will be given to the "Free Travel Bus – Community Exploration" tourist bus service, used to direct visitor flows towards the commercial areas of the city's neighbourhoods.
The Community Rewards programme had been trialled during the October Chinese National Day Golden Week, through a system of benefits linked to tourist routes and transport services to the neighbourhoods. According to the authorities, the first phase recorded encouraging results, leading to the decision to widen the pool of beneficiaries and the activities that allow access to the incentives.
According to the government of the Special Administrative Region, integrating major events, tourism, the concessionaires' activities and consumption incentives is a tool to support small and medium-sized enterprises and to strengthen the economic vitality of local communities. The stated aim is to consolidate a model of territorial promotion that distributes the economic benefits generated by tourist flows more widely, supporting businesses and services in Macao's neighbourhoods.