Melco Resorts debuts responsible gaming video for Macau

Hong Kong-headquartered casino operator, Melco Resorts & Entertainment Limited (MLCO:NASDAQ GS), recently announced that it has debuted a company-sponsored public service video that promotes responsible gambling in Macau.

Titled “Our Wishes,” the film will air on Teledifusão de Macau (TDM), which provides public broadcasting services in the resort city in Southern China. The 90-second video shows a family who is being torn apart due to the father’s gambling spiraling out of control and his wife and young daughter’s wish for them to be a family again.

“Responsible gaming has been and continues to be a top priority for Melco,” said Lawrence Ho (pictured), Melco Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “The healthy expansion of the industry is of utmost importance to the sustained development of Macau and Melco is fully supportive of government policies encouraging responsible gaming.

“As an initiative of the company’s Responsible Gaming Steering Committee, the public service video aims to raise awareness and highlight the social importance of responsible gaming culture.”

The initiative comes from the Responsible Gaming Steering Committee, established in 2007 and led by Lawrence Ho.  Asia Gaming Brief reports that according to Melco, it is the only company in Macau that provides its entire staff, including gaming and non-gaming departments, with compulsory responsible gaming training. In addition to its employees, the company is committed to raising awareness and reinforcing a responsible gaming culture among the general public and patrons.

The Asian casino giant was also the first gaming operator in Macau to install facial recognition systems to prevent banned individuals from re-entering its casinos. In 2016, the operator installed the FaceVACS-VideoScan developed by German biometric firm Cognitec at a time when gaming-related crime began to rise significantly in Macau.

Melco Resorts and Entertainment Limited, whose parent organizations is Melco Leisure and Entertainment Group Limited, was founded in 2004 and is responsible for the City of Dreams Manila, Altira Macau, Studio City Macau and City of Dreams Macau integrated casino resorts as well as the Mocha Clubs chain of electronic gaming machine parlors.