Bills of Regulation for bidding on gaming licenses must be submitted to the Executive Council for approval by the end of October, according to the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Tam Pak Yuen.

After chairing a meeting of the task force for gaming industry liberalization, Mr. Tam said that the bill included a series of regulations concerning the process of tender, concessions and requirements that bidders and future operators should meet.

Mr. Tam also disclosed that a few international companies have shown interest in bidding for gaming licenses.

The SAR Government advertised in the local and international media and on the Internet early this month, inviting parties interested in bidding for gaming licenses to submit Expressions of Interest.

Mr. Tam said that this would enable the Government to gain a better understanding of the interested parties. He added that the collection of EOIs was merely a preparation for the tender and was not a process of the tender which was expected to begin by the end of October, provided that the relevant regulations could be approved in two weeks' time.