“Lower risk” in Macau, says JP chief
In the wake of deadly attacks this year at casinos in Manila and Las Vegas, the Macau government will work with the city’s six leading gaming concessionaires to coordinate a response to possible violence there.
According to GGRAsia, the 2017 Asia Risk Assessment from Steve Vickers and Associates Ltd., a Hong Kong-based consultancy, contends that Macau’s casino industry is “vulnerable” to the threat of terrorism.
On October 16, the Macau government issued a statement referring to a “gunman attack and arson” that took place in a “neighboring country,” a reference to the attack at Resorts World Manila in the Philippines in June. A lone gunman there set a fire on the gaming floor that killed more than 30 people, most of whom died from smoke inhalation. Earlier this month, a gunman opened fire on crowds at a country concert from the window of his room at Mandalay Bay on the Vegas Strip. Together, the two attacks claimed almost 100 lives.
Chau Wai Kuong, director of Macau’s Judiciary Police, said in the statement that Macau has a “relatively lower” risk of attack, but must prepare itself for any eventuality.
Each of the city’s casino operators has been asked to create a “special action team” with access to “protective equipment,” the statement continued. “The purpose of such teams is that when encountering any ad hoc incident, the situation could be handled speedily before the police arrived on site,” Chau said, adding this could help reduce “the risk of injury or even death.”
The Judiciary Police suggested that “a simulation of attacks on the casinos should be conducted in the short term,” said the statement, “so that the frontline workers of casinos are more skilled in handling ad hoc incidents, and that the operation of the existing coordination and reporting mechanism as well as all equipment can be tested.
“All the casino representatives have agreed to the proposal of conducting a drill, and will soon liaise with Judiciary Police regarding the details,” said the statement.
Paulo Martins Chan, director of the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau, said all casino operators in the market are “in the process of installing metal detector gates” at the entrances to casinos. He urged them to use handheld detectors as well.
In other preventive measures, “large luggage” has been banned from casino floors, and operators have agreed to provide “extra physical training” for security personnel, along with training in identifying suspicious persons.
