Bee Macau plant begins production of Bee 68 cards and Bee Click‑Shoe

Bee Macau began full-scale production in early May and held an official inauguration on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, the company said in a press release. The Macau-based manufacturing facility will produce a new Bee 68 playing card line with embedded tracking facilities and a card shoe called Bee Click‑Shoe, featuring an innovative cartridge system. Bee Macau is a joint venture between Cartamundi Group and Asia Pioneer Entertainment Holdings Ltd (APE), and the project involved about HKD500 million (US$63.8 million) in investment.

Bee Macau factory: what will roll off the production line

The facility will manufacture two new products for casino tables. The first is the Bee 68 playing card product, described by Bee Macau as carrying embedded tracking facilities. The second product is the Bee Click‑Shoe, which the manufacturer says incorporates an innovative cartridge system aimed at dealing and card-handling workflows. Selected Bee casino card decks produced at the plant will now carry the "Made in Macau" label, the company added.

The operation represents the end of a five‑year programme that the joint venture said included planning, technology development, testing and a pilot production run. The factory entered full-scale production in early May and was marked by an inauguration ceremony attended by a number of Macau officials, the press statement said. The company described Bee Macau as "one of the largest Belgian commercial investments established in Macau to date."

Ownership and strategic intent: Cartamundi Group and Asia Pioneer Entertainment

Bee Macau is a joint venture between Belgium-based card maker Cartamundi Group and Hong Kong-listed Asia Pioneer Entertainment Holdings Ltd (APE). Asia Pioneer Entertainment is based in Macau and operates across business segments including distribution of third-party gaming technology. Cartamundi Group acquired the United States Playing Card Co — long associated with the Bee brand — in December 2019, according to Cartamundi's announcement at the time.

Cartamundi Group’s chief executive Stefaan Merckx provided a prepared statement included in the Tuesday release, saying:

"Cartamundi is Latin for ‘cards for the world’. That idea has guided us from the beginning: combining global expertise with strong local partnerships."

Mr Merckx added that bringing advanced manufacturing capabilities closer to customers in Macau and across Asia‑Pacific will allow the group to serve them with the speed, quality, security and reliability they expect.

Asia Pioneer Entertainment’s chief executive Herman Ng said in the release that the playing cards produced in Macau will be distributed globally, illustrating "the strength and uncompromising quality of the 'Macau Standard'." Bee Macau’s chairman Jason Pearce was quoted describing industry demand for higher standards in security, traceability and environmental responsibility and stating that the facility combines embedded authentication technology, AI-assisted quality assurance and sustainable packaging solutions.

Technical approvals and regulatory record in Macau

The Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) of Macau previously approved related dealing shoes and firmware. Approval records viewed by GGRAsia show the regulator approved the "Bee-tek Click Security Dealing Shoe (2.43.6n)" and "Bee-tek Security Dealing Shoe (2.42.6n)" in July 2025. In May 2026 the bureau approved the "Bee‑Tek Security Dealing Shoe Firmware (v2.42.7n)" and the "Bee‑Tek Click Security Dealing Shoe Firmware (2.43.16n)".

Those approvals clear the hardware and firmware elements of the product family for use in Macau casinos and are part of the documentation Bee Macau cited when announcing the factory's opening. The regulator approvals also underpin the company's claims about security and traceability features built into the new products.

Investment scale, timeline and local positioning

The establishment of the Bee Macau manufacturing plant involved a circa HKD500 million (US$63.8 million) investment, first disclosed in a May press release when the factory began work. Bee Macau told media on Tuesday that the opening followed five years of planning, technology development, testing and a pilot programme for production.

Company statements characterised the facility as both a regional manufacturing hub for Asia‑Pacific customers and a statement of confidence in Macau as a production location. Selected casino decks carrying a "Made in Macau" label will be distributed internationally, the joint venture said.

What this means for operators and suppliers

Operators and casino suppliers should expect locally produced security‑enhanced playing cards and dealing shoes to become available in the regional supply chain. The combination of embedded authentication technology, AI‑assisted quality assurance and supply‑chain labelling aims to give operators traceability and a documented provenance for decks and shoes. For suppliers of peripheral casino hardware, the Bee Click‑Shoe's cartridge system represents a new product category to integrate with existing dealing‑shoe workflows.

Manufacturers and procurement teams evaluating card and shoe suppliers will now factor in the DICJ approvals, the local production footprint and the statement that selected decks will display a "Made in Macau" origin.

Market context and next steps

Bee Macau framed the investment as one of the largest Belgian commercial deployments in Macau to date and emphasised proximity to Asia‑Pacific customers. The joint venture signalled it will distribute products globally while highlighting the facility's security and environmental credentials.

For readers tracking product approvals or hardware launches, the regulatory approvals from the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau in July 2025 and May 2026 are the concrete milestones that enabled the plant's commercial production. Procurement teams in casinos and platform vendors should assess the product specifications and distribution plans now that the factory is active.