In Macau, yesterday reportedly saw legislators unanimously pass a proposed government-backed measure that would prohibit the city’s 24,453 employed table games dealers from entering the gaming floor of all local casinos for any purpose other than to work.

According to a report from GGRAsia, the decision by the 33-member Legislative Assembly is aimed at curbing problem gambling among staff at the city’s many casinos with the particulars of the proposed ban including how to effectively detect infringements now due to be worked out by one of a trio of committees before subsequently being put to a final vote, which is a process that could take several months.

Paulo Martins Chan, Director for the enclave’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau regulator, reportedly told GGRAsia that he envisions the prohibition including a provision that would see a hotline established for the reporting of possible infringements. He additionally explained that casino operators are likely due to be made responsible for most of the initial enforcement measures via their security staff rather than through the use of ‘technological measures.’

GGRAsia explained that the projected prohibition would cover the cage staff at all local casinos as well as these venues’ cleaners, beverage and food workers and those in charge of surveillance systems, which is a tally according to official figures from the city’s Statistics and Census Service that could eventually run to encompass just over 57,200 people.

Civil servants in Macau are already banned from entering a local gambling floor with the exception of a brief period around Chinese New Year while the latest measure reportedly includes a proposal that would extend this exemption to impacted casino employees.

It was also reported that the approved legislation contains a proposal that would see those found to have violated the ban hit with fines ranging from $125 to $1,230 with the government hoping to implement the new policy one year after its final ratification.