Secretary for Economy and Finance Lionel Leong Vai Tac said on Monday the government hoped that the city’s six gaming operators will submit their reports on enhanced casino security measures to the government in a week.
Leong made the remarks while speaking to reporters after the swearing-in ceremony of the newly-appointed coordinator of the Support Office of the Permanent Secretariat of the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (PSCs), Mok Iun Lei, on the premises of the permanent secretariat at the Finance and IT Centre in Nam Van, according to the Macau Post Daily.
The Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) and Judiciary Police (PJ) held a meeting with the city’s six gaming operators on Sunday to discuss measures to enhance casino security, said a statement jointly released the same day by the bureau and the police.
The government called the urgent meeting following “the gunfire and arson incident” that recently took place “in a nearby country”, the statement said.
The statement did not mention the country. The statement came after a deadly attack on a Manila casino hotel on Friday, in which 38 people died, including five Chinese nationals.
The statement also said the police had urged the gaming operators to strengthen security checks by increasing the number of personnel and equipment and enhance communication with the police.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Leong said the government had always paid close attention to the security at tourist spots and casino resorts, adding it was necessary to put sufficient security resources into ensuring the safety of residents and tourists alike
Leong said whether the city is safe was pivotal to Macau’s development into a world tourism and leisure centre.
Leong said the government hoped that the six gaming operators will submit their proposals to the bureau and the police in a week as to what measures they will take to enhance security in their casinos.
Leong said that after the government received the proposals from the six operators, it would study them to see whether the measures would be able to ensure the safety of casino patrons and staff.
