mbreport SMOKING BAN 86
three bars, the tobacco ban comes into play in 2015. “With the presence of anti-smoking
signs and enforcement of non-smoking protocols, MGM Macau aims to provide a clear and consistent message about the smoking regulation and the smok- ing ban,” Mr Bowie says.
Clashing research A spokesperson for Wynn Macau said the gaming operator supports all gov- ernment initiatives aimed at turning Macau into an international destination. It added the company would be intro- ducing a detailed information campaign to better inform patrons about the new rules. Judy Patterson, senior vice-
president and executive director of the American Gaming Association, says smoking bans in United States casi- nos have negatively impacted gaming revenue. The assistant professor of the
University of Macau’s Institute for the Study of Commercial Gaming, Davis Fong Ka Chio, says casino revenues may drop immediately after the prohi- bition is implemented but revenue even- tually returns. The introduction of full
JANUARY 2012
The issue of allowing smoking in casinos has particular relevance to Macau. The majority of players are from the mainland. The country’s population of smokers now numbers 300 million people, according to the central government
TRUMP CARD M
orton’s The Steakhouse has claimed a special place in the hearts of meat-eating smokers. It has an expansive forecourt where smokers can enjoy a cigarette – the
Venetian Macao casino. It is a competitive advantage not enjoyed by most food and beverage outlets located
inside a resort or shopping mall, which typically do not have an outdoors sitting where people can smoke. Since Morton’s is adjacent to the casino, where smoking is allowed and will be
partially permitted after this year, that will make customers’ life much easier, says David Martin, regional director of operations at Morton’s. “It will be very easy for our patrons to go outside, have a cigarette and come back in as well.” The restaurant also has outdoor tables, where smoking is permitted. For Morton’s, implementing a smoking ban is nothing new. The chain has previously
experienced similar bans in the United States. “It’s just the way the world is going, it’s something we’ve seen before,” Mr Martin says. A potential decline in business is not a concern. “In the United States, we didn’t have any impact in revenues but what we do feel is people leave earlier from the tables. People tend not to stay so long.”
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