Macau: SJM takes ‘no position’ on hiring imported workers as croupiers

“As we go on with this construction in Cotai, we hope that there will be a better policy in order to facilitate construction so that we can complete it in time,” he said.

Michael Leven, president and chief operating officer of Las Vegas Sands reportedly said in an investor forum in the United States earlier this week that the rule was limiting the availability of staff. He is said to have urged the government to axe the restriction. 

So told reporters, in response to whether he would join Leven in pressing the government to change the rule, that SJM had not yet taken any position on the matter.  

He made the remarks while speaking to reporters after officiating at yesterday’s opening ceremony of the company’s Macau World Heritage Paper Carving Exhibition, which is being held at Grand Lisboa’s foyer. The exhibition marks National Day next Tuesday and the 8th anniversary of Macau heritage sites being inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

“It depends on what the figures are,” So was quoted by The Macau Post Daily as saying.“If the figures are right [showing a shortage of croupiers] then we should have a dialogue with the government on how to solve this problem.”

So pointed out that as the construction of casino-hotels in Cotai won’t be completed until 2016 to 2017, there would be “several years of school-leavers and other people joining the community”, which were factors that needed to be accounted for to understand what any possible shortfall would mean to the industry.

“As far as croupiers are concerned, it should be [a job reserved for local citizens] but if there’re not enough people, then of course we support [letting] imported workers being employed as croupiers,” So said. “Otherwise, where do we get labour from in order to make this [Macau’s casinos] operational? We need to find a solution,” So said. However, he later insisted: “We are not taking any position yet.”