Lawmaker calls for regulating fun fair safety

Regulations should be formulated to supervise the safety of fun fairs and related facilities provided at local hotels and resorts, lawmaker Ron Lam has demanded in his latest inquiry.

Opening his inquiry, the lawmaker said several residents had made social media posts saying they were injured while playing at fun fairs at local resorts. They wrote that due to the lack of a soft bottom and clear indicators, they suffered bone fractures or cracks at a ball pit.

Lam was approached by the victims in inquiry of relevant laws and regulations concerning such issues in Macau, such as guidelines on safety and the need for mandatory insurance coverage.

He then said the city lacked specific rules and regulations in this regard. The only available regulations are a set of guidelines concerning the facilities’ architectural aspects and another set about the economic operations of them. Neither had a reference on the safety of these facilities.

As early as in 2017, the government ran a public consultation on the review of administrations in several areas, which included fun fairs and related facilities and activities. The hygiene of such facilities was also within the scope of the public consultation.

However, as of now, the government has not advised whether these safety guidelines will be updated. The government demanded casino license holders diversify their product offerings, as part of the criteria for license re-tender at the end of last year.