The first of a new version of self-use kiosks that aim to help in tackling “problematic gaming” was inaugurated yesterday.
Located at Studio City, the responsible gaming kiosk version 3.0 is the third version of the gaming help response mechanism that was launched by the government in 2012 with version 1.0 – a program conceived and developed by the Social Welfare Bureau (IAS), Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) and the University of Macau’s Institute for the Study of Commercial Gaming.
For this newly added version, which joins the 18 version 2.0 units in operation across several casinos and institutions that provide gaming-related counseling, a few improved features have been installed, namely more information and a more interactive and enhanced system. There are several new functions, including the “self-exclusion from the casinos” option, which is now extended to all tourists and is not only available for local residents as with the previous version.
Another unique attribute, which has resulted from the partnership of the several institutions, is the inclusion of the so-called “Ambassadors of Responsible Gaming”: that is, staff that can help to provide information and kiosk operation procedures, as well as participate in promotional events.
According to the figures cited by the DICJ Director, Paulo Chan, to 2015 there were 38,000 people who used the previous versions of the kiosks, which proved that these kiosks are useful. “I believe that this kind of idea is very important to implement in our society. Throughout the year, the results have shown that improvement, namely on the number of requests of “self-exclusion” from entering into the casinos, has been growing.”
Also present at the inauguration was the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Alexis Tam, who took the opportunity to highlight the efforts of the many professionals helping people who request assistance, as well as taking time to try the equipment himself.
The secretary also said, “In the near future, we plan to expand this new equipment to other casinos.”
Responsible Gaming Kiosk version 3.0
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