The Macao SAR Government is planning to amend advertising laws and regulations, proposing a ban on all forms of advertising for gambling activities – including the display of gambling equipment in advertisements.
Macau’s Economic and Technology Development Bureau stated on Friday that since the current advertising laws have been in effect for over 30 years – and considering the evolving economic activities across various industries and the rapid development of information technology – there is a need to amend the advertising laws.
In the consultation document published by the government, it is proposed to prevent the negative impact of gambling advertisements on society and to clearly define the content of gambling advertisements that are prohibited. It is suggested to explicitly prohibit all types of gambling activities from being advertised.
The document also defines what constitutes “gambling-related advertising”, which includes information that displays gambling-related equipment, tools or scenes; gambling techniques or odds information; any information that may attract public attention or evoke an association with gambling activities; information promoting or encouraging others to participate in any form of gambling activities; and information promoting activities or behaviors that require participation in gambling activities as a prerequisite for obtaining benefits.
However, the text does not provide detailed examples of specific situations, including what kind of information would cause the public to associate it with gambling activities.
As the bill is currently in the consultation phase, the government will conduct a 30-day public consultation on the amendment to the Advertising Activities Law from 4 July to 2 August.
The Macau government has regulated gambling advertisements in the past, including prohibiting gambling advertisements in law and stipulating that concessionaires may only promote gambling-related information or activities in the gaming areas of casinos.
