Considering that many of SJM’s gaming venues failed air quality assessment tests carried out by the government earlier this year, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau (SJM) Chairman Ambrose So Shu Fai said Tuesday that it would be better to implement a full smoking ban in the city’s casinos rather than having a transition period.
However, he did not say whether SJM would be Macau’s first gaming company to impose a blanket ban on smoking in all its gaming venues.
According to The Macau Post Daily, So made the remarks when asked about the matter on the sidelines of the 2nd International Forum for Clean Energy (Macau) at the Ponte 16 casino-hotel.
“We [SJM] are in close contact with the government [regarding the matter]. We have tried our best to improve the air quality [in the 16 gaming venues],” So said, adding, “Due to the [architectural] design of some casinos it is impossible to comply with the air quality standards required by the government in the smoking areas.
“The ultimate goal [in the law] is to implement a full smoking ban in all casinos. [I think] allowing gaming operators to set up smoking areas for a three-year transition period … it would have been better to implement [the blanket ban] earlier and not have a transition period,” So stressed
Asked by reporters if SJM would implement a full smoking ban if the 16 gaming venues failed their air quality reassessment, So just said that the company would comply with any decisions made by the government regarding the matter.
According to the regulations that took effect on January 1, each gaming venue is allowed to set up a smoking area of not more than half of the total public area of any of their gaming venues.
According to the by-law, the government will review the effect regarding the designated smoking areas every three years.
The government has vowed previously that it will review the regulations’ effect and then decide whether there should be a complete smoking ban in all gaming venues.(macaunews)
