A gambler who was banned from casinos in Macau for two years appealed the ruling, saying it violated his right to “free choice of employment,” according to the Macau Business Daily. The appeal was denied.
In 2014, the man was convicted of loan shark activities in Macau casinos after he loaned HK$50,000 (US$6,449) to another gambler. He received a seven-month suspended sentence and was prohibited from entering a casino for two years. It was his first offense.
The jurisdiction’s Court of Second Instance upheld the ban, saying it has no bearing on his right to seek employment at a gaming hall.
The appeals court said the penal code allows law enforcement to prohibit individuals from entering certain places, such as casinos. The law states that the crime of usury is punishable by exclusion from casinos for a period of time.
The convicted loan shark had asked that the ban as well as the prison sentence be suspended.
