SSM receives smoking room floor plans from 39 casinos

In a press release, the Health Bureau (SSM) said that as of September 1, 39 casinos have submitted their final drafts of floor plans that will see smoking rooms added to their mass areas.
The six casino operators in Macau made the suggestion to set up smoking rooms in their mass areas last year, a measure adopted by the government.
Alongside the establishment of smoking rooms, the gaming concessionaire and sub-concessionaire also asked for the abolishment of smoking areas in their mass areas, as well as the ability to set up smoking areas in VIP rooms.
SSM is calling on those casinos that are yet to hand in their floor plans to make the submissions as soon as possible, as it has been decided that a total smoking ban will be imposed on casino mass areas from October 6.
Customers in public areas will have to step outside to smoke if casinos fail to install their smoking rooms by that date.
SSM believes that the installation of smoking rooms will improve the air quality inside the casinos, as well as reducing the casino workers and other people’s exposure to tobacco smoke.
The clear separation between smoking and non-smoking areas also means that it is easier for government officials to implement the relevant regulations and reduce controversy during law enforcement.
Moreover, SSM cited a survey conducted by the University of Macau, which showed that 50 percent of the casino workers who responded to the survey were willing to work in VIP rooms if there is a total smoking ban in the public areas with smoking rooms installed.
Among this 50 percent, around half of them were willing to work in VIP rooms without additional financial subsidies, while another half said they would want financial subsidies in exchange for working in VIP rooms.