In a bid to curb problem gambling among casino workers, the Macau government plans to prohibit most casino employees from entering casinos when they’re off-duty.
The ban, which takes effect December 27, is included in an amendment that extends an existing prohibition to cover around 54,000 workers—including some 8,000 employed by third-party junket operators—in categories ranging from table games and slots to marketing hosts, cashier and cage staff, food and beverage, security and surveillance and cleaners and housekeepers.
The ban will be waived for the first three days of the annual Lunar New Year holiday. Otherwise, unless it’s for work-related activities, off-duty employees found in a casino could face fines up to 10,000 Macau patacas (US$1,200).
The government’s casino regulator, the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau, conducted a seminar recently with representatives of the territory’s six licensees to detail the new requirements, along with other responsible gambling measures, and explain the procedures for reporting and enforcement.
The bureau said it will “continue to promote multi-channel publicity to ensure that gaming workers understand the new law prohibiting entry into the casino and will also maintain close ties with the industry to jointly promote responsible gambling and better protect the physical and mental health of gaming workers.”
