Macau’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) will hold a one month public consultation period after it announced a proposal to ban local casino workers from entering gaming floors outside of work hours.
The ban – which would apply to dealers and floor staff but not to administration, security or non-gaming employees – proposes issuing workers found on a gaming floor outside of work hours with a fine of between MOP$1,000 and MOP$10,000.
The public consultation period will run from 27 September to 26 October 2017.
At a press conference held on Tuesday, the DICJ said that its proposed amendments to Act 10/2012 regulating “entry into the casino and conditions of work and gaming in the premises” was aimed at curbing problem gambling among casino employees. It added that casino dealers and those working in the gaming sector are the most prevalent of all local workers when it comes to seeking help for gambling addiction.
The proposal will also look to provide clearer insight into laws surrounding underage gambling after the minimum age to enter a Macau casino was raised from 18 to 21 in 2012.
The DICJ is proposing that any winnings or pending bets by an underage person will be seized and set aside at the cage until a final legal determination is arrived at.
As it stands, any underage person found on a gaming floor faces a fine of between MOP$1,000 and MOP$10,000 while operators will be fined between MOP$10,000 and MOP$500,000 for allowing entry.
