The new gaming concessionaires will have to take responsibility for the workers of the “satellite casinos” that will eventually close, the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Lei Wai Nong said during a plenary session at the Legislative Assembly.
The Secretary’s comments were made in response to an inquiry by lawmaker Leong Sun Iok who expressed several concerns regarding the employment of casino workers in the new concessions.
“Regarding the so-called satellite casinos, the concessionaires that are in charge of those [venues] need to assume the responsibility for these workers and relocate them to other casinos [from the same concessionaire] if the satellites are closed,” Lei said, adding, “The companies are well aware of these responsibilities. Corporate Social Responsibility from concessionaires will continue to be our main goal for the upcoming 10 years because this will guarantee the job stability of residents.”
The Secretary did not indicate whether he was currently aware of the number of satellite casinos which will close or continue to operate but said that, independently of this number, “if the workers of these casinos are employed by any of the six [concessionaires] that are going to obtain new licenses for the upcoming 10 years, they need to assume the responsibility over giving them new job posts in their other venues.”
The Secretary also reaffirmed that the new law introduces new rules, among which is the requirement that the concessionaires be subjected to regular inspections by the public services, in addition to a new sanctioning mechanism.
“In the future, the government will inspect the legal terms and the fulfillment of the promises stated during the public tender,” Lei concluded.
