After successful trial runs and deliveries to operators in Asia, BEE Macau launched full-scale production in May 2026
Asia Pioneer Entertainment Holdings and Belgium’s Cartamundi Group, one of the world’s largest playing card manufacturers, have announced that their flagship Bee Macau factory has now officially commenced full operations, marking the debut of Macau’s first casino-grade playing card production facility.
The factory successfully completed test production earlier and has already exported to Asian markets. This milestone signals Macau’s transformation from a consumer of gaming products into a high‑tech producer on the global stage, opening a new chapter in the city’s economic diversification.
With a project budget of HKD 500m, the factory produces the legendary Bee casino‑grade playing cards—long recognised as the industry’s gold standard—100 per cent locally, positioned to serve Macau’s six major gaming operators as well as casino operators worldwide. The facility is equipped with advanced automation systems, artificial intelligence technologies, and robotics, supported by a team of local professionals.
Herman Ng, Executive Director and CEO of APE, emphasised the significance of the launch: “With Bee Macau, the market finally gains a local choice in playing card manufacturing, opening the door to greater diversity. As a Macau-based company, we are proud that Cartamundi has entrusted us with world-class technology and training, bringing global expertise to Macau.”
For more than a century, Bee cards were imported into Asia. Today, these internationally recognised products are being manufactured here, in Macau.
“The playing cards produced here in Macau will be distributed across the globe, demonstrating the strength and uncompromising quality of the Macau Standard
“Cartamundi is Latin for ‘cards for the world’. That idea has guided us from the beginning: combining global expertise with strong local partnerships,” said Stefaan Merckx, CEO of Cartamundi Group.
“By bringing advanced manufacturing capabilities closer to customers in Macau and across Asia-Pacific, we can serve them with the speed, quality, security and reliability they expect from us.”
Combining customizable designs with uncompromising quality, Bee® is the trusted playing card of choice for gaming operators worldwide.
The first Bee deck was printed in 1892, and its logo has since become synonymous with quality and reliability. In 2019, Bee was acquired by Cartamundi, a company with over 200 years of card‑making expertise. Today, through its partnership with APE, Bee Macau brings this international brand to Macau, creating a new era of “Made in Macau.”
This milestone builds on a strategic cooperation agreement signed between Cartamundi and APE at the Macau International Environmental Cooperation Forum & Exhibition (MIECF) on March 27, 2026, witnessed by senior officials from the Macau SAR Government and the Central People’s Government Liaison Office. It reflects Macau’s vision for green innovation and economic diversification, while reinforcing its role as a global connector, bringing foreign investment and international technology into the city.
Alan Ho, President of The Macau Portuguese and Spanish-Speaking Countries Entrepreneurs Association, stated: “By serving as a bridge through Macau, the Bee Macau new factory will foster global connections and jointly open up the vast markets of Portuguese‑ and Spanish‑speaking countries.”