Spirituality & Practice

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2. Delimit the scope of the casino

Article 2(2) of the Legal Framework defines casinos as “places and venues authorized and classified as such by the Macao SAR government.” It is obviously not a proper definition from the perspective of functioning because we cannot know what a casino is like by this definition. Therefore, the government should, following the requirement of the Legal Framework, draw up regulations to pinpoint the characteristics, locations, and operating rules of a casino and specify which parts should be included in a casino when reverting.34 We suggest addressing the following aspects in the regulations.

First, the geographical scope of a casino should include all the areas that the people can approach only through an entrance to the gaming area. In other words, if some non-gaming places or facilities such as performance stages, bars, cafés, and restaurants are in this area, they should also be counted as in the casino area and revert to the Macao SAR when the concession ends.

As a matter of fact, in Macao, all the casinos but VIP rooms have one or more entrances separating the gaming area from the public-access-free area.35 This reality should be respected when delimiting the casino to avoid confusion and controversy. Besides, it is not easy to register the non-gaming sites within a casino as independent units because the gaming and non-gaming areas are often in a crisscross pattern.

Second, supporting facilities such as the cashier and surveillance room located outside of entrances of a casino should also be counted as parts of a casino and revert. In a few casinos in Macao, due to the narrowness of the building, the supporting facilities may have to be put outside the typical casino area, despite being within the same building. These facilities should be treated as an integral part of a casino because they are indispensable to gaming activities. If they do not revert with the gaming areas, the gaming activities cannot function well.

Finally, because most casinos are located in a resort complex, the gamblers have to use the other areas or facilities to enter and leave a casino. For example, a gambler may have to enter the building by one of the gates of the building and walk through the corridor before entering the casino. When the casino and the other areas and facilities belong to the same owner, everything is fine. Otherwise, however, the building owner may deny the gambler use of the gateways or facilities. The Legal Framework only requires that the concessionaire give back the casino rather than the whole building. Problems will arise when the previous concessionaire denies or creates difficulties for the gamblers to enter the casinos.

The government should set up rules to weather the situation so that gaming activities will not be interrupted after the reversion. The government may, for example, declare the non-casino area leading to the casino as a quasi-public place for which the General Regulation of Public Spaces (Administrative Regulation 28/2004) can be applied subject to some modification. In a quasi-public place, the gamblers can enter or leave the casino without obstruction or harassment unless the laws and regulations provide otherwise.36

Remote Gambling

Customer privacy and data protection

Licensees are required by the Licensing Authority to obtain at least the following basic personal information with regard to all prospective customers. This shall include full name, residential address, and date of birth. Upon obtaining the required information and completing any due diligence arising there from, the licensee shall be entitled to deal with the customer as a registered player.

NSW Clubs’ Representative Body Faces Criticism over Links to Political Donations

Unfortunately, ClubsNSW has faced a lot of criticism, as its proposal that would provide problem gamblers’ families to request they be suspended from NSW clubs has been described only as a good-looking facade aimed at covering up the actual face of the industry.

Tim Costello, a long-time anti-gambling advocate from the Alliance for Gambling Reform (AGR), believed that the aforementioned proposal was a seemingly positive concession that actually accounted for what he described as “window dressing”. Mr Costello suspected that the former gaming minister of the state, Victor Dominello, could have proposed a digital wallet in a move that would unveil gambling addiction in the state in real-time only as a product of the ugly face of the industry group. He further noted that the entire model of ClubsNSW depended on problem gamblers.

Apart from that, Mr Costello pointed out that the gambling, and more specifically, the video gaming industry in New South Wales, has always been favoured by political parties because gambling operators have been among the largest donors of political campaigns across the state. This is exactly the reason why he remains doubtful there is anyone on the proposed panel who could act as a truly independent party.

There have been some previous attempts to tackle gambling in New South Wales, with some self-exclusion laws being unveiled to provide patrons who find it hard to control their gambling with the chance to ban themselves from gambling. Unfortunately, a 2020 investigation of ABC News found only one occurrence of a fine or prosecution that was initiated as a result of failures to stick to self-exclusion policies.

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Support Groups and Self-Help

Support groups, such as Gamblers Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous, use peer support to help others stop gambling. Some research has shown physical activity can help those with gambling disorder. Many states have gambling helplines and other assistance. A National Helpline is available at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

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Get more help

Freedom from Problem Gambling (PDF) – Self-help workbook for compulsive gamblers, with tips on how to avoid relapse and fight gambling urges. (UCLA Gambling Studies Program)

Problem Gamblers and their Finances (PDF) – Guide for treatment professionals on how to help a problem gambler cope with financial problems. (National Endowment for Financial Education)

Personal Financial Strategies for the Loved Ones of Problem Gamblers (PDF) – How to deal with financial issues due to a loved one’s gambling. (National Council on Problem Gambling)

Learn about side bets in Blackjack

Many casinos and game providers add various side bets to Blackjack, which can make the game a bit more exciting, but generally also increase the casino’s advantage. You can take advantage of a side bet by placing a separate bet, which is settled independently from the "regular" Blackjack bet.

The most widely spread side bet is called "21+3", in which you can win a certain multiple of money placed on this bet, depending on your two cards and the dealer’s "upcard" (the visible card). The highest paying combination consists of three cards with the same rank and the same suit (e.g. three Queens of clubs).

The selection of side bets is much wider on brick-and-mortar and virtual Blackjack tables around the world, however, there is one thing all side bets have in common. They all have an RTP that’s worse than the RTP of Blackjack played without side bets. If you want to maximize your RTP, you should stay away from them, but they also increase the game’s volatility, what might be preferable for some players. One thing is certain – feel free to try them out when playing one of our free Blackjack games just for fun.

Practice Play Slots

Casino practice play slots are actually quite popular because gamblers want to get familiar with the rules and prizes they might win on a particular slot that is new to them. They also play online casino practice play slots to get familiar with the interface and all the buttons you can push when playing the game.

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USING YOUR COMPUTER OR SMART PHONE

I’m going to plug the software that I use when I teach students basic strategy in my blackjack classes. It’s called Blackjack Mentor and it’s available for Android and iPhone smart phones, Microsoft Windows for PC’s, and Palm OS/Pocker PC’s. Here are a few examples of how this program can help you learn the basic strategy.

The program’s “Drill Mode” allows random blackjack hands to be displayed, and you have to pick the correct play. The program remembers which ones you get right or wrong, and tends to pick the ones you are having the most problems with. You can also select specific hands to be tested on, and view your error statistics from Drill Mode.

The “Memorize Mode” displays a blank strategy table and allows you to fill in the correct play one cell at a time, just like the drill I mentioned earlier using paper and pencil. The software will alert you if you input an incorrect play and marks the error. The software has over 100 built-in tables ready to be used with a wide range of blackjack rules and number of decks.

Now you have several ways to memorize the basic strategy so you have no excuses not to do it. And let me add this: You can always bring a strategy card with you when you play and refer to it if you forget how to play any hand. They are perfectly legal; however for security reasons don’t place them on the table, instead, hold them in your hand. Note: I recommend the following set of strategy cards because they are accurate and easy to use: Don Schlesinger’s Ultimate Strategy Cards and Kenneth R. Smith’s Blackjack Strategy Cards.