There are 500 clearance devices that will be installed moving forward and the government is expected to ask residents to test the technology. Should the test run successfully, the iris-clearing border checks may be rolled out on a larger scale and be introduced at every border check in Macau.

Running More Tests Before Large-Scale Implementation

The technology, although having a dystopian ring to it, is part of legislative efforts promulgated by the Macau Legislative Assembly back in August 2021. The government introduced changes to its immigration control law that allowed it to collect and process the iris data of travelers.

The first round was conducted recently, using fewer devices, and controlled by the police. The 500 devices that will be rolling out will now allow the Macau government to see if it can handle the data and use it to better the comings and goings through borders.

The iris test’s second phase will focus on Macau residents who are aged 18 and above and will ask them to participate in the customs clearance tests. Once phase two of the testing is done, a third phase is expected to follow which will directly link personal iris data to the Macau Resident Electronic ID Card.

This way, residents would not need to use physical identity cards when entering or exiting the territory. This has raised questions, however, as to whether the technology would also become obligatory for foreign tourists – a move that can undermine the Special Administrative Region’s ability to attract foreign tourists.

Irish and Facial Recognition Clearance Becoming More Popular

The technology is also supposedly not mandatory. When Macau Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak was introducing it in March, it was argued that there is no obligation to submit iris data if a person does not want to.

Facial recognition has already been used to allow admittance to many international countries, but iris data has not been collected en masse. In Asia, at least, there is one other country that has used iris clearance data – Singapore, which makes the idea not too outlandish altogether.

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Global gambling giant BetMGM announced that it has been awarded one of the industry’s top accreditations from the Responsible Gambling Council. The council acknowledged the efficiency of BetMGM’s responsible gaming and player protection efforts in North America and provided the operator with the RG Check certification.

In its official announcement, BetMGM noted that the accreditation attests to its commitment to protecting its players from harm.

RG Check is considered to be among the most extensive and strict responsible gambling accreditation programs in the gambling industry. The program validates the organizations that are the most committed to providing their customers with sufficient safeguards to prevent addiction. It also evaluates companies’ procedures, policies, protocols and the problem gambling training of its employees.

BetMGM underwent a rigorous evaluation process before receiving the RG Check accreditation. This process included the review of its responsible gaming policies and procedures, staff training and player protection tools. An RGC team of experts carefully probed into BetMGM’s responsible gaming program and provided recommendations for improvement.

BetMGM said that its US, Ontario and Borgata online brands were subject to the accreditation.

CEO Greenblatt Is Proud of the Accreditation

RGC’s chief executive officer, Shelley White, congratulated BetMGM on achieving the RG Check accreditation for all of its platforms in North America. She emphasized that this demonstrates BetMGM’s commitment to protecting its players from harm.

We commend BetMGM for its dedication to promoting responsible gambling practices and its efforts to ensure the well-being of their players.

Shelley White, CEO, RGC

Meanwhile, the CEO of BetMGM, Adam Greenblatt, said that he is proud to see his company receive the prestigious accreditation. He said that this attests to his team’s ongoing efforts to promote responsibility.

This accreditation is a testament to our ongoing efforts to promote responsibility throughout our business and to ensure the well-being of our customers. We will continue to work closely with the RGC and other industry partners to promote a culture of safe and enjoyable gambling.

Adam Greenblatt, CEO, BetMGM

Despite steadily growing its business, BetMGM remains bullish on shielding its customers from the dangers of irresponsible gambling. The company is proud to leverage its proprietary GameSense program to help its customers play responsibly. The industry-leading program is developed and licensed to MGM Resorts by the British Columbia Lottery Corporation.

GameSense is integrated into BetMGM’s mobile and desktop platforms and allows customers to feel safe when playing with MGM Resorts. It complements the operators’ rich suite of safer gambling tools.

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Gambling “whale” Lester Hui is defending himself against a claim of almost £600,000 by an exclusive Mayfair casino in London. Hui maintains that Aspinall’s Clubs Ltd helped him get “blackout drunk” in order to help him lose more than half a million Pounds playing double chance baccarat at Aspinall’s casino at Curzon Street.

Hui claims the casino kept bringing him drinks of Moutai, a particular style of baijiu, a distilled Chinese liquor that is crafted in the town of Maotai in China’s Guizhou province and often referred to as “firewater”.

Claims Failure of Club’s Social Responsibility

Under Gambling Commission rules, Hui maintains that the casino failed to fulfill its social responsibility to him when staff failed to intervene in his self-destructive behavior by continuing to serve him the potent liquor so that he would be likely to lose large sums of money to the house edge and Aspinall’s financial benefit at his expense.

Aspinall’s is having none of it if they can help it and are demanding he pays up the money it says he owes through the gambling contract. The casino contends he remained sober enough to make clear game decisions and drove himself home when he was done gambling.

Aspinall’s is a members-only club that has entertained celebrities and various royalty over the years since opening in the 1960s. The purported gambling debt dates back to early 2016. Hui has reportedly been a member since 1996.

As is usually the case with a game like baccarat, his winnings reportedly fluctuated throughout his gambling session but he ended up in the hole after spending £600,000 in pursuit of wins. When he was done playing he wrote a check for £589,724, representing his spend minus a smaller amount the club owed him from earlier.

However, the check didn’t clear the bank.

Attempted to Settle Out of Court

According to a report in the Mirror, the club has tried on several occasions to help Hui settle the debt out of court but has been involved in the court process since late 2019.

According to Hui, he planned to get drunk and informed staff while also asking them to limit his losses to £30,000 and then got too drunk to know what he was doing while the club allowed him to lose five times his self-imposed limit he claims he asked the club to help him enforce. Being in a state of “blackout” drunkenness, Hui claims he was not legally capable of entering a gambling contract to lose money.

Club barrister, Alexander Robson doubts Hui’s claim of asking for limits and forcefully defends against the main notions put forward by the gambler.

“If Mr. Hui had made any such formal request to limit his gaming to a particular amount, the request would have been recorded and requested.

“Further, if Mr. Hui had said he was going to get drunk, he would not have been permitted to play at all,” said the barrister.

Providing complimentary drinks, enforcing insufficient breaks from the tables, and continuing to serve drinks after he began gambling are claimed as a breach of Aspinall’s social responsibility to its customer.

Source: High roller claims top Mayfair casino plied him with ‘firewater’ as he gambled away £600k, The Mirror, March 13, 2023

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