Nov 21, 2016 Newsdesk Latest News, Macau, Top of the deck  
Macau-based casino operators Sands China Ltd and MGM China Holdings Ltd respectively have been found not guilty of breaches to the city’s anti-smoking law in two separate cases, Macau’s Health Bureau said in a Friday statement.
The announcement came after government investigations into, respectively, Sands China’s casino resort the Venetian Macao, and casino hotel MGM Macau, owned and operated by MGM China. The probes followed worker complaints about alleged breaches to smoking rules inside those casinos.
The investigations – which involved the Health Bureau and the city’s casino regulator, the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau – found no wrongdoing by either of the operators. One gambler was however found puffing a cigarette in a non-smoking area, and was fined accordingly, the statement said.
The government checks were initiated after Sands China and MGM China were each accused – by workers at the respective venues mentioned – of setting up smoking zones in gaming areas earmarked for non-smoking activities. In the case of Sands China, complaints included the alleged conversion of two segments of the mass-market floor of the Venetian Macao into VIP areas to allow smoking and gambling inside them.
Smoking on casino main floors in Macau is currently only allowed in airport-style enclosed smoking lounges that do not contain any gaming tables or slot machines. Casino operators have been required to get approval for such facilities. Having a cigarette while gambling is at present still allowed in Macau casino VIP rooms.
The government is now pushing for a full smoking ban inside casinos as part of a scheduled revision of the city’s tobacco control law. But a majority on the Macau Legislative Assembly working committee asked to scrutinise the revised tobacco control bill currently supports the retention of smoking lounges on casinos.
All necessary scrutiny and approval of the revised tobacco control bill must be completed prior to the city’s current legislative term ending in August 2017. If the deadline is missed, the current proposed legislation would fall and the process – which began in July 2015 – would have to start afresh.
Jun 01, 2023
Jun 01, 2023
Jun 02, 2023
Jun 02, 2023
Jun 02, 2023
Genting Singapore Ltd says Lam Yi Young has resigned from his role as deputy chief executive of Resorts World at Sentosa Pte Ltd. The latter firm is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Genting...Jun 01, 2023
Alfastreet, a manufacturer of electronic gaming machines,...Jun 01, 2023
Casino equipment maker Sega Sammy Creation Inc is tweaking...Jun 01, 2023
The iGaming segment in Asia “has grown rapidly” since...May 31, 2023
Showing slot machine players – via animations on the...May 31, 2023
Macau stocks in likelihood “have been punished too much...May 31, 2023
There are foreign companies still interested in investing...May 31, 2023
Thailand could pass the necessary enabling legislation for...May 30, 2023
China will remain a key market for Asian gaming...May 30, 2023
Alejandro Tengco (pictured in a file photo), chairman and...May 30, 2023
There are “plenty of reasons” for the global gaming...May 30, 2023
Gaming equipment provider International Game Technology Plc...May 30, 2023
The Global Gaming Expo (G2E) Asia 2023 Special Edition:...May 29, 2023
Austria-based gaming equipment maker and operator Novomatic...May 25, 2023
Sports betting and online casino operating platform...May 24, 2023
The business performance in Asia of gaming content and...May 18, 2023
The organisers of Global Gaming Expo (G2E) Asia 2023...May 17, 2023
Gaming content and equipment supplier Light & Wonder...May 16, 2023
Casino equipment maker Sega Sammy Creation Inc is to...May 09, 2023
Casino slot machine and digital gaming content provider...May 05, 2023
The Global Gaming Expo (G2E) Asia event in Singapore is the...May 04, 2023
An adviser to a Thailand parliamentary committee mulling...(Click here for more)
US$8.1 billion
Macau’s casino gross gaming revenue in the five months to May 31