Macau, one of the most important gaming and casino centers of the world, announced this week that it will stop the granting of new licenses and the allotment of land for the construction of casinos. In the last few years, Macau has opened its doors to Las Vegas giants, such as Wynn and Sands, which have built luxurious casinos in the former Portuguese enclave.

Edmund Ho, Macau’s Executive Chief, was in charge of making the announcement that no more land would be allocated for the construction of new casinos in the territory. Ho explained that, besides social tension in the enclave linked to the boom of gaming, the new policy adopted by Macau comes from the wishes of Beijing.

“In this first stage, we have conducted evaluations and discussions and we have followed the directions of the Central Government concerning the gaming industry, and we decided to adopt this new policy,” Ho said in a meeting with Macau’s legislators.

Up until now, Macau has granted three casino licenses and three sub-licenses, which allow a total of six companies to operate 29 casinos in the enclave. Even though gaming venues have revitalized Macau’s weak economy, the surge of casinos has also generated protests from several social sectors.