Fewer Macau youths attempt to enter casinos as interest in gambling wanes

Macau youths are becoming less interested in gambling, resulting in a decrease in attempts by underage gamblers to enter local casinos.

Portuguese news agency Lusa recently reported that Macau logged 236k instances of individuals under 21 years of age attempting to gain entry to local casinos last year. This represents a 28% decrease from the number of incidents recorded by the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) in 2014.

Macau takes a dim view of underage gambling, authorizing fines of MOP 1k to 10k (US $125 – $1,250) for under-21s caught inside a casino, whether they’re there to gamble or work. Casino operators who allow under-21s onto the premises for whatever reason face fines of between MOP 10k and 500k.

In 2012, Macau upped the age of casino entry from 18 to 21 years in a bid to decrease the number of high school seniors who were transitioning straight into the workforce as casino dealers.