In an attempt to help shield itself from an anticipated drop-off in Macau’s future VIP gaming market, Asian casino operator, Melco Resorts and Entertainment Limited, has reportedly initiated a scheme that is offering pit managers at three of its properties up to $62,000 to leave their jobs.

Voluntary vacations:

According to a Friday report from GGRAsia, the Hong Kong-headquartered firm is also encouraging some of these employees to train towards transferring to a non-gaming position or apply for permission to take up to a year off via unpaid leave.

Involved trio:

Melco Resorts and Entertainment Limited reportedly confirmed that its job reduction scheme is ‘100% voluntary’ and is being made available to those employed within its Studio City Macau, City of Dreams Macau and Altira Macau integrated casino resorts. It moreover declared that the arrangement had been ‘designed according to findings via focus groups and other colleague-human resource [department] communication channels’ and includes an option that could see workers offered the chance to take as little as one month off without pay.

Business boost:

GGRAsia reported that a senior pit manager at a casino in Macau can earn up to $59,000 a year while Melco has dressed up the new scheme as a way of encouraging its employees to start up their own small businesses. The gaming firm revealed that it then intends to invite such new enterprises to bid for the right to offer their goods and services.

Although Melco reportedly refused to detail how many of its workers had applied for any aspect of the new scheme, it did state that ‘numerous pit manager colleagues have expressed their excitement about the openings and possibilities on offer.’

Statistical strategy:

A pit manager job is widely considered to be a ‘safe’ position within the Macau casino industry that currently presents locals without a university education the chance to earn a city-wide average of around $35,500 a year. However, recent government policies designed to foster full statistical employment have purportedly made it increasingly difficult for the city’s casino operators to react to market conditions by shedding or re-positioning employees.