Macau, the biggest gambling hub in the world continues to promote its special campaign for Responsible Gambling in an effort to help problem gamblers and educate amateur gamblers on protecting themselves from developing an addiction to the casino industry. ?The conference is promoted each year by the University of Macau, Macao Social Welfare Bureau and the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau.
Billionaire Sheldon Adelson’s Las Vegas Sands Corp which has a strong presence in Macau via its Sands China Ltd company recently announced that it would once again be a part of the Responsible Gambling 2015 campaign for the 7th consecutive year and would work together with the event organizers to promote and educate the local community about responsible gambling.
The Institute for the Study of Commercial Gaming, University of Macau states that “Responsible gambling occurs in a properly regulated environment where one’s involvement in gambling activities brings no harm to the gambler, family members, friends, other gamblers, or casino staff; nor would it lead to negative consequences for the local community and residents. In other words, Responsible Gambling is a practice that confines the gabling-related damage to a socially acceptable level”.
Sands China has already started taking initiatives towards responsible gaming as the company held a quiz covering the topic of responsible gaming from the 12th – 16th of October as the leadership team wanted to help team members become more knowledgeable on the concept of the house advantages, probability of winning, concept that govern games of skills and the process of the self-exclusion application.
The company decided to award 50 prizes at random to those team members who managed to answer all questions correctly. A total of 5,400 team members took part in the quiz which was more than double the number of team members that participated in 2014. A representative of Sands China stated that the company was committed to promoting responsible gaming in Macau and wanted to do its best to educate the public on responsible gaming behaviour and help problem gamblers overcome their addictions.
Sands China also decided to donate generously to non-governmental organizations that helped problem gamblers overcome their addictions. The company decided to donate MOP450,000 between the Macau Industrial Evangelistic Fellowship Centre for Problem Gamblers; Sheng Kung Hui Macau Social Service Coordination Office and Young Men’s Christian Association of Macau.
There have been accusations hurled at Sheldon Adelson and his Las Vegas Corp for preaching responsible gambling but practicing something different as a recent mini documentary showcased how easy it was for minors to enter his casino’s and obtain alcohol and participate in gambling related activities.