Yesterday, the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau, Macau’s gaming regulator, released a special statement, in which it denied any rumors suggesting that residents might be prohibited from entering the city’s gambling venues sometime in 2016.
The government of Macau has previously mentioned the period 2015-2016 in relation to the beginning of discussions concerning what is going to happen to the casino operators that provide their services on the territory of the administrative region once their licenses start expiring between 2020 and 2022.
The regulatory body commented in its statement the law that denies access to people under the age of 21 to the local gambling venues. It came into effect back in November 2012 and its main purpose was to champion responsible gambling.
Under the law in question, people that are under 21 are absolutely prohibited from working or even entering any casino in Macau. Otherwise, they are supposed to pay a fine between MOP1,000 (US$125) and MOP10,000 (US$1252.51). Moreover, gambling operators that allow people under 21 to enter or work in their premises are supposed to pay a fine between MOP10,000 and MOP500,000 (US$62621.33).
Previously, residents of Macau were allowed into casinos once they turned 18. The age of entry was raised mainly to protect local youths from gambling addiction and to encourage them to continue their education rather than to become casino dealers upon leaving school.
According to the results from a study, carried out by the so-called Bosco Youth Service Network, more and more Macau-based young people show gambling addiction symptoms. Furthermore, it seems that the number of local youths that place sports bets increased in 2014.
Yet, it could be said that the contribution of local players to Macau’s gambling revenue is relatively small at present.
The Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau denied the rumors about a casino ban at a time when Chinese government carries out an intense anti-corruption and money laundering campaign, which is closely related to Macau’s gaming industry. Back in December 2014, President Xi Jinping stated that the administrative region should monitor its casinos more thoroughly and should improve its gambling regulations.
Macau’s regulator started its initiatives for responsible gambling back in 2009. In 2012, a special law that called for residents to refrain from engaging in gambling activities came into effect.
In addition, in November 2013, it was decided that slot parlors can be located only within the premises of five-star hotels, non-residential buildings in near proximity to casinos, or resorts that are “not situated in a densely populated area”.
According to a recent study, carried out by Taiwanese scholars, 34.1% of the Macau-based respondents shared that they had never engaged in gambling activities.
