A total of 233 requests for exclusion from Macau casinos were received by the authorities in the first half of 2018, up from 179 exclusion bids in the first six months of 2017.
There were 200 applications for self-exclusion in the six months to June 30, up 34.2 percent in year-on-year terms. The remaining 33 exclusions were 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 2018, there were 119 requests for exclusion from casinos, down from the 114 requests recorded in the first quarter, according to the casino regulator’s data.
In 2017, Macau authorities recorded an aggregate of 376 requests for exclusion from the city’s casinos. It was the highest figure recorded since the casino exclusion system was implement in Macau in November 2012. The 2017 peak was related to a surge in third-party exclusion requests to 60 from 25 in 2016.
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.
According to the existing rules, 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.
Macau’s civil servants are already banned by dint of their professional role, from entering casino floors. The exception is a brief period during the Chinese New Year holiday season.
The city’s Legislative Assembly is currently reviewing a government-backed bill proposing a ban on Macau-based gaming workers entering casino floors outside work hours. The government says the casino floor ban aims to curb problem gambling among casino employees, particularly card dealers.
