Macau Casinos Smoking-Free Zone As Operators Desire VIP Lounge Lit

• Jack Gold
• March 14, 2017

The health bureau in Macau in the verge of reducing the effects of harmful toxins emitted from the smoking of cigarettes in closed doors of casinos across Macau.

The health bureau seeks to enact legislation that will ensure there is no smoking inside casinos as is in the case with several gaming resorts across the globe.

Hitherto, gaming resorts in Macau are not accustomed to smoke. However, a study shows that casino operators want clients to be allowed to smoke their cigarettes whenever they are in the VIP lounges.

They argue that once a client is in a VIP lounge, which is separate and many a times close from the rest of the gaming floor, no smoke can reach the rest of the employees and visitors. Click here to read about Macau Economy Bustling As Casino Companies Struggle To Revive Their Collections.

Even as the wrangle between casino operators and the administration is intensifying, those who check in gaming resorts are still suffering from a ban that has been in force since 2013.

Most casino operators are saying that the ban has deprived them from making real money online casino gambling sites a fortune they expected.

For casino operators, there has not been much problem with the ban. After all, they are now used to the ban and those who want to exercise their smoking rights, need to pay a little more in order to access VIP lounge. Somehow, it helps operators.

However, they are now scared that the Health Bureau now wants the ban to be extended to include VIP rooms saying that in order to maintain sanity in casinos across Macau, smoking inside gaming resorts should not be tolerated. Remember when the Macau Casinos Were Booked For Chinese New Year, Wynn Gets Huge Revenue

It should be remembered that in July 2015, Macau banned smoking of any sort inside public places, which include casinos. Further, authorities in the city agreed with one accord to crackdown all VIP junkets asserting that the sector siphoned Macau’s elite class and laundered money to various resorts.

It was after recording low revenue collection from all six gaming facilities in the town that the authorities bent their stance on smoking inside gaming facilities.

The Health Bureau has maintained that now, it is looking for ways to reach an amicable solution to the smoking menace that is about to disrupt normal business especially the VIP junket, knowing that the ban has had a negative effect on the aggregate revenue collection.

The Need For Common Ground

In a more recent press release from the Health Bureau, it said that it is doing all it can to ensure that the solution is reached fast.

The HB says that for now, it is engaging Melco Crown, Sands China, Galaxy Entertainment, Wynn Macau, MGM China, and SJM Holdings to find a long-lasting solution.

The aim of the Health Bureau’s stance is to ensure that patrons and casino employees are protected from smoke that is harmful from human health.

After preliminary talks with the six operators, HB, through its director, Mr. Cheang Seng said, “We’ve basically agreed on major directions.”