博彩業在澳門歷史悠久，最早可追溯至19世紀中葉。踏入20世紀，博彩業結合旅遊業的發展，成為澳門經濟支柱之一。
Gaming industry has a long history in Macao and it was first legalised in mid 19th century. Entering the 21st century, the gaming industry has developed a very close relation with the tourism industry and become a pillar of Macao’s economy.
2002年特區政府透過適度開放幸運博彩市場，引入新的投資者和營運模式，為博彩業發展注入新的動力和多元化元素，為社會提供大量就業機會。回歸前，該行業年度毛收入最多只有177.8億澳門元（22.2億美元）。
In 2002, the MSAR Government liberalised the gaming industry, bringing new momentum to Macao’s gaming sector and the entire economy. Through appropriate competition and modern operating and management models, the Government also expected the new arrangements to create more job opportunities. Before the Handover,the gaming industry’s maximum annual gross revenue was 17.78 billion patacas (US$2.22 billion).
根據博彩監察協調局及統計暨普查局資料，2015年上半年，幸運博彩總收益達1,216.45億澳門元（155.96億美元），博彩稅484.95億澳門元（62億美元）。
According to statistics provided by the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ), the gaming industry’s gross income for the first six months of 2015 was 121.645 billion patacas (US$15.6 billion)，gaming tax revenues totalled 48.495 billion patacas(US$6.2 billion).
自1962 年起，澳門旅遊娛樂有限公司取得博彩專營權，經數次續期，專營合約至2002年3月31日屆滿。根據合約規定，專營公司每年向政府繳付博彩稅，稅率屢經修訂，至2001年為專營公司總收入的31.8%。在20世紀90年代，政府約一半的年度收入來自博彩稅，差不多佔本地生產總值的三分之一。專營公司在最後數年間，每年毛利都在130億到180億澳門元之間，而政府的博彩稅收入則在42億到59億澳門元之間。
In 1962, the Sociedade de Turismo e Diversões de Macau (STDM) was granted the casino concession. After a number of extensions, the monopoly expired on 31 March 2002. Under the contract, STDM paid a gaming tax to the Government annually. In 2001, the tax rate, which had been amended several times, was 31.8 percent of the total revenue of the concessionaire. In the 1990s, half of the Government’s annual income came from gaming tax, which accounted for one-third of total GDP. In the last few years of STDM’s monopoly, the company’s gross gaming revenue varied from 13 billion patacas to 18 billion patacas and the gaming tax from 4.2 billion patacas to 5.9 billion patacas.
除娛樂場博彩外，澳門的博彩活動還包括賽馬、賽狗、「白鴿票」彩票和近年興起的足球博彩及籃球博彩。
Other than casino table games, gaming activities in Macao also include horse-racing, greyhound-racing and pacapio lottery. Instant lotteries, soccer and basketball betting are becoming increasingly popular in recent years.
特區政府成立後，決定待博彩的專營權於2001年底期滿後開放博彩業，藉此發展具競爭力的博彩業，為澳門居民創造更多就業機會，並且進一步鞏固澳門作為區域內博彩中心的地位。
After its establishment, the MSAR Government decided to liberalise the gaming industry once the STDM concession expired. The Government’s objectives were to introduce competition in the industry, increase employment and consolidate Macao’s position as a gaming centre in the region.
立法會在2001年8月底正式通過16/2001號法律《娛樂場幸運博彩經營法律制度》。法律除明確界定娛樂場及幸運博彩的意義外，並就批給制度、條件及競投工作等定出多項規定。
In August 2001, the Legislative Assembly officially passed Law No. 16/2001: Gaming Industry Regulatory Framework. The framework not only clearly defined the meanings of “casino” and “gaming”, it also laid out regulations for concessions system and the conditions and process for bidding.
2001年10月31日，行政長官透過批示正式設立「娛樂場幸運博彩經營批給首次公開競投委員會」，以統籌有關招標競投程序的工作。委員會共有8名成員，由經濟財政司司長譚伯源擔任主席。競投招標工作於11月2日正式展開。
The Casino Concessions Committee, established by an Executive Order on 31 October 2001, was responsible for the work related to tender invitation and bidding. The eight-member committee was chaired by the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Francis Tam Pak Yuen.
經過國際招標和評核，行政長官於2002年2月8日簽署批示，將娛樂場幸運博彩經營批給臨時判給予澳門博彩股份有限公司（澳門旅遊娛樂有限公司的子公司）、永利渡假村（澳門）股份有限公司和銀河娛樂場股份有限公司。
After a series of international tender invitation and evaluation, the Chief Executive issued an Executive Order to grant provisional casino concessions to Sociedade de Jogos de Macau (SJM, a subsidiary of STDM), Wynn Resorts (Macau) and Galaxy Casino Company on 8 February 2002.
澳門特別行政區政府分別在2002年3月和6月，與澳門博彩股份有限公司、永利渡假村（澳門）股份有限公司和銀河娛樂場股份有限公司，簽署《澳門特別行政區娛樂場幸運博彩或其他方式的博彩經營批給合同》。
The MSAR Government signed the Concession Agreements on Operating Games of Luck and Other Games in Casinos in the Macao Special Administrative Region with Sociedade de Jogos de Macau in March 2002, and with Wynn Resorts (Macau) and Galaxy Casino Company three months later.
此後，因應澳門的發展需要，特區政府分別於2002年12月、2005年4月及2006年9月批准銀河、澳博及永利以「轉批給」方式，各自引入威尼斯人集團、美高梅金殿超濠股份有限公司及新濠博亞娛樂有限公司在澳門經營幸運博彩業。
However, after granting concession to three operators, the MSAR Government agreed to allow Galaxy, SJM and Wynn to each grant a gaming sub-concession to one other operator, to meet Macao’s changing needs. In December 2002, the MSAR Government and Galaxy agreed to amend its concession contract. The Venetian Group was authorised to operate casino gaming in Macao under a sub-concession. With the permission of the MSAR Government, in April 2005 SJM signed a sub-concession contract with MGM Grand Paradise, and in September 2006 Wynn signed a contract with Melco PBL Gaming (Macau).
經過幾年的高速發展，特區政府認為是適當時機對現況和未來進行檢討。2008年4月22日，行政長官宣佈對博彩業營運作出新規範，決定在未來一段長時間內不再增設任何牌照。2010年2月，特區政府對博彩委員會作出調整，由行政長官擔任主席。委員會就博彩業的發展制定有關政策，監管博彩業的發展和運作，訂定規範及發出指引。
After a few years of rapid development, the MSAR Government found it was time to review and evaluate the present and future development of the gaming industry. On 22 April 2008, the Chief Executive announced that no new gaming licences would be granted in the near future, as a means of regulating the operations of the industry. In February 2010, the Government restructured the Gaming Committee, which is now chaired by the Chief Executive. The committee is charged with policy-making in gaming related issues, oversight of the gaming industry, and formulation of related regulations and guidelines.