Lawmaker calls for greater scrutiny on casino smoking controls

Lei Cheng I

Lawmaker Lei Cheng I and her colleagues from the Macau Federation of Trade Unions (FAOM) met with department heads from the Health Bureau (SSM) and the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) yesterday to discuss the control of smoking inside casinos.
During the meeting, which lasted over an hour and a half, Ms Lei and the FAOM members raised concerns about recent redevelopments that were carried out inside the mass areas of several casinos.
The lawmaker said that government officials should inspect the casinos personally and determine if the casino operators are trying to exploit a legal loophole, enlarging their smoking areas by partially converting their mass areas into VIP areas.
Current legislation stipulates that a total smoking ban should be imposed in mass areas from October 6 this year.
“What we are really skeptical about is how it can be so simple for the high-betting zones, which have always been part of the mass area, to be converted into VIP areas under the government’s definition. We have also asked the government [officials] whether they have changed the rules,” she said.
Ms Lei claimed that although government officials did not admit to approving these conversions, several casino operators have already released internal notifications telling their staff that patrons would be able to smoke in some of the converted areas. She questioned whether this was a signal from the casinos indicating their unwillingness to adhere to the smoking regulations.
“The government, as the regulatory body, must be a good gatekeeper on this issue and should not approve of the converting of high-betting zones of the mass areas into VIP areas and hence making them smoking areas,” she said.
Lei Cheng I went further, voicing her suspicion that the government itself that is allowing casino operators to make such conversions.
“I think [the conversion of the mass areas] will make the administration’s policy look hideous,” she said.
The lawmaker believes that the government should provide a clear explanation on the building works in the casinos’ mass areas.
“The government could explain that our suspicion is incorrect and those redecorations are just to construct smoking rooms and other things instead of making them into smoking areas. The government still insisted that they have not approved [any new VIP rooms], but is it the truth? There is still no clear answer,” Lei said.
According to the lawmaker, government officials have replied stating they would consider their demands. She claimed that she would consider bringing the issue to the Legislative Assembly, but would want to wait for the administration’s reply first.