A total of 172 voluntary requests for exclusion from Macau casinos were received by the authorities in the first half of 2016.
There were 163 applications for self-exclusion in the first half of 2016, with the remaining nine exclusions being applied for by third parties, such as family members, said the city’s casino regulator, the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau, which maintains the list of those excluded.
In the second quarter of 2016, there were 82 voluntary requests for exclusion from casinos; down from the 90 requests recorded in the first quarter, according to the casino regulator’s data.
Neither the quarterly nor the collated half-year figures identified how many Macau residents had joined the voluntary exclusion scheme. All applicants must agree in writing to be added to the exclusion list, regardless of whether they apply directly or the request is made by a family member.
The number of casino exclusion requests in Macau has been increasing every year since the scheme was introduced in November 2012. In 2013, a total of 276 requests were filed; the number increased to 280 in the following year. In 2015, there was a 27 percent year-on-year increase, producing a total of 355 requests.
Any person can apply to be excluded from entering casinos in Macau. The maximum exclusion period is two years but it can be extended. The applicant can apply for exclusion from all or just some casinos. Those who fail to comply with the exclusion order risk up to one year in jail or a fine.
