A total of 258 requests for exclusion from Macau’s casinos were received by the city’s authorities in the first nine months of 2016. A total of 240 people applied for the Macau government’s self-exclusion programme during the period, while a further 18 exclusions were applied for by third parties, according to the city’s casino regulator, which maintains the list of those excluded.
There were a total of 77 voluntary requests for exclusion from Macau’s casinos in the three months to September 30, with the remaining nine exclusions being applied for by third parties, such as family members, said this week the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau.
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 third party.
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.
