Eight gamblers banned from Macau after casino fight

Eight mainland gamblers have been banned from entering Macau following a gang-fight in a mass-market casino area in Cotai, the local head of security confirmed over the weekend.

On the sidelines of a Labor Day event, Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak recapped the Judiciary Police’s (PJ) earlier explanation that authorities were “handling the matter in accordance with the law.”

However, as of yesterday, the charges against the violators had not been announced.

Nonetheless, the head of security underlined that the incident “severely impacts Macau’s image.”

First, images and videos depicting the incident were posted to social media by witnesses. The visual materials went viral, which Wong described as “having long-lasting impacts.”

Accordingly, Wong has recommended the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) bar these people from entering casinos and ordered the Public Security Police Force (PSP) to ban the perpetrators from Macau.

The visual materials depicted two groups of people fighting in a casino. Witnesses gathered to watch the fight. It is believed the fight concerned a gambler who was mocked for losing in consecutive Baccarat games, which led other gamblers wagering against his moves.

Wong further explained that while the enforcement of safety in the casino is the immediate responsibility of security guards, this escalates to the PSP and the PJ. “Cooperation and coordination are essential,” the security chief highlighted.

The PSP logged 14 taxi violations from Apr. 29 to May 1. Among these, one concerned an instance of overcharging, one refusal to hire, one needless detour, one price negotiation, and the remaining ten were cases of disordered hire at a taxi stand.

Four other cases concerned service quality and were thus transferred to the Transport Bureau (DSAT).

The PSP also recorded three cases of unlicensed hires.