Macau authorities received a total of 142 requests for exclusion from the city’s casinos in the three months to 30 June 2019, an increase of 23 requests on the 119 received in the same period last year according to latest figures from the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau.
The substantial rise follows similar activity in 1Q19 when 149 exclusion requests were received, taking the total for the first half of the year to 291 compared with 233 requests 12 months ago, an increase of 24.9%.
Self-exclusion requests in the second quarter numbered 120, down from 132 in 1Q19 but considerably higher than the 97 requests received in the prior year period. For the first six months of 2019, self-exclusion requests climbed 26.0% from 200 to 252.
Likewise, Third Party exclusion also increased in the first half of the year from 33 to 39, including 17 in the first quarter and 22 in the second.
Under Macau law, an exclusion order can be applied for a maximum of two years before requiring renewal, with fines of up to MOP$10,000 for prohibited persons found violating an order or up to MOP$500,000 for operators.