Inside Asian Gaming

inside asian gaming December 2014 34 Feature Macau’s 2012 casino entry law permits gamblers to apply for self-exclusion from gaming venues for a period of up to two years. Exclusion orders can also be filed by the families of gamblers, but only with the approval of the individuals concerned. effectively pricing out many locals, especially those most susceptible to developing gambling problems. EXCLUSION ORDERS Macau’s 2012 casino entry law permits gamblers to apply for self- exclusion from gaming venues for a period of up to two years. Exclusion orders can also be filed by the families of gamblers, but only with the approval of the individuals concerned. As of June, the DICJ had received 440 applications for exclusion, over 90% of which were filed by the problem gamblers themselves. “The number of applications for exclusions is quite low. The administration should do more to promote responsible gaming and educate residents on discerning the signs of gambling addiction. Many still don’t have a clear understanding of the law after two years,” says Billy Song, president of the Macau Responsible Gaming Association. “And whether the order filed by the families requires the approval of the gamblers is also worth discussion.” In Singapore, families of gamblers can apply to have them excluded without the individuals’ consent. But according to Edmund Loi Hoi Ngan of the Social, Economic and Public Policy Research Center at Macau Polytechnic Institute, Singapore’s approach is not necessarily effective. “Singapore has been known for taking an authoritative stance in its policies in all areas, but do more rigid measures really bring about desirable outcomes? Despite Singapore’s measures, problem gambling is still serious there,” he points out. Meanwhile, casino workers’ groups want the law to be more flexible. “If a person is excluded, it does not only mean they can’t gamble, but also means they can’t work at a casino, which makes casino employees much less willing to apply for the order,” says Leong Sun Iok, vice president of the Macau Gaming Industry Workers Association. He maintains that “It’s easier for them [casino workers] to become addicted to gambling as they are in contact with gamblers and different kinds of games all the time, in addition to the fact that some employees may not have an all-round understanding of gaming, believing it is easy to win money.” A BLANKET BAN There are growing calls to ban employees of the gaming industry from setting foot in any casino after work. “When the [casino entry] law was being discussed in 2012, some legislators were already calling for that provision, but officials at the time reasoned the government should not use legislative means to deprive casino workers of the right to gamble,” says legislator Au Kam San. “But the prevalence of problem gambling among casino employees is still very high compared with other groups, so the government should take this issue more seriously and see whether there is need for the law to be amended.” Casino operators and labor groups seem to agree it would be better if casino workers didn’t gamble at all, suggesting different ways to achieve that outcome. Angela Leong On Kei, executive director of SJM Holdings and a directly elected member of the Legislative Assembly, believes it should be done by amending the law. “It is not enough” for the law to merely ban casino workers from gambling in the properties of their employers, she says. Ms Leong wants the ban to be expanded to cover all gaming venues, in line with the ban on Macau civil servants gambling in any of the city’s casinos. Leong Sun Iok of the Macau Gaming Industry Workers Association suggests casino operators spell out in their contracts with staff that they must refrain from gambling as a condition of their employment. There is already precedent for this outside the gaming industry, with the Bank of China stipulating in its contracts with its Macau employees that they should not set foot in casinos. Ahead of such restrictions on casino workers gambling, Casey Wong of Gaming Employees Home calls for more staff training “to instill in them the value of managing their careers and finances, as well as to strengthen their knowledge of responsible gaming.”