Casino Enterprise Management

Business is booming in Macau. With casinos packed with loads of eager gamblers during the Chinese New Year season, service staff was busy scrambling to meet demand. Is it tough working in Macau’s casinos? According to some of my students, the answer is a definitive “yes.” Surveys in Macau have revealed that many croupiers are stressed out in their jobs, and this has raised some concerns.

Recently, my friends and I had a debate on the level of “dirtiness” in Macau’s casinos and how that can significantly affect our croupiers. There are at least three types of perceived dirtiness in Macau’s casinos. Over here, casino jobs can be perceived to be physically, morally or spiritually dirty

Physically Dirty
Smoke-filled casinos in Macau are literally physically dirty. Some croupiers and floor supervisors that I know frequently complain about their smoke-filled working environment. They dislike being passive smokers, and many believe it will have a negative effect on their health. A few cite how long hours on the gaming floor lead to teary eyes and respiratory problems. They attribute these health problems to the inhalation of secondhand smoke and poor ventilation within their casinos.

While some find the smell of cigarette smoke intolerable, others are wary of “contaminated” banknotes and chips. They believe germs (like swine flu virus) on dirty notes or chips can easily spread from one hand to another—and we are in flu season.

Adding to the perceived physical dirtiness of a croupier job are incidences when Chinese players have spilled their drinks, coughed, sneezed or attempted to spit on the gaming tables. Casino floor staff also has to deal with cocky and rude gamblers, some of whom may be verbally abusive. “It is just not a clean environment here,” one croupier said.

Morally Dirty
Gambling was often perceived as a socially undesirable activity throughout Chinese history. A Chinese person who overindulges in gambling is considered to be a socially or morally bad person. He or she is someone who cannot control their actions and who brings shame to the family. Needless to say, Confucius fundamentally discouraged gambling. This is in line with his philosophy and teaching: Gambling disrupts social order, and the latter must be maintained. Problem gamblers affect not only themselves, but also the people around them, which often leads to significant financial loses and even the loss of lives. Triads’ involvement in gambling activities and the perpetuation of money laundering further complicates the situation and taints the social image of legalized gambling. All these add to the perception by some that legalized gambling activities create significantly more harm than they do good for the Chinese society.

As such, gambling businesses are perceived to be immoral by some local Chinese. A Chinese person who works in a casino, then, is a culprit who helps create social ills, adding to the feeling by some in the community that casino jobs are morally dirty. I remember speaking to one of my MBA students who told me that her parents constantly reminded her throughout her childhood never to work in a local casino. She quoted her father, saying, “It is an immoral business. Don’t earn your money on someone else’s misery. Stay out of it!”

I sometimes find some croupiers struggling with their inner self to maintain a balance between their moral values, what they witness in the casino and their chosen gaming career. At times, they rationalize their situation by desensitizing themselves from the reality. “It’s just a job. I am just trying to make a living for myself and my family, you know. I can’t control the plight of these gamblers,” one croupier said.

Another one simply refused to talk about it and replied jokingly, “Crazy!”

Spiritually Dirty
Gambling is discouraged or disapproved of by numerous religions and spiritual leaders worldwide. It is often recognized to be a sin and as bad for an individual’s spiritual development.

A large majority of Macau’s residents consider themselves Buddhists, even though some actually pray to Taoist gods or the gods of Chinese folk religion. There is also a sizeable (but still comparatively small) Roman Catholic population in Macau. Many moral values are evolved from religious views, and on the issue of gambling, devoted Buddhists consider gambling as a sinful activity that distracts one from achieving enlightenment. However, few ordinary Chinese people strictly follow their religious teachings.

Despite their religious affiliations, many Macanese hold a casino or casino-related job. Some parents in the community see these jobs as spiritually dirty and discourage their children from participating. I saw this in one of my casino executive students, who was told by his mother to quit his croupier job, as it was “not acceptable” to their religion. In another case, a floor supervisor complained to me about an incident that revealed a contradiction between his religious beliefs and that of his superiors. He claimed that on several occasions, he was “coerced” into praying to a god from another religion.

Dirtiness and Job Pride
Of course, there is no perfectly “clean” job anywhere in the world. However, my main concern is that each of these three perceived dirtinesses in Macau’s casinos may have a profound effect on the conditions of Macau’s croupiers and gaming floor executives. A perceived dirty work environment affects their physical and mental health. It further reduces their job happiness and, most importantly, takes away their job pride. Unhappy croupiers, without job pride, are most unlikely to provide good quality services to their customers. A few Korean executives who are regular visitors to Macau recently described to me their service encounters: “They (the croupiers) don’t smile. They don’t talk. They just look like a bunch of unhappy workers on the floor. What’s wrong with croupiers in Macau?”

Current debate on the partial ban of smoking in Macau’s casinos is a big step forward that, hopefully, will benefit all who work on the casino gaming floor. Although studies have revealed that a potentially large near-term drop in gambling revenue might occur when the smoking ban is implemented, the overall long-term benefit should still outweigh this cost. A smoke-free environment potentially enhances employees’ job happiness and brings in crowds of new gamblers who would never have played in a smoky casino.

Still, more can be done to address or alleviate perceived physical, moral and spiritual dirtiness in Macau’s casinos. On the issue of moral dirtiness, for example, the government and operators can take steps to improve the image of casino jobs and Macau’s gaming industry as a whole. I believe it is time that Macau and its operators take greater initiatives to address these issues. This can be seen as part of the casinos’ corporate social responsibilities. It will not only benefit the hard-working souls on the casino gaming floor, but also ensure a healthy and sustainable development of Macau’s gaming industry.

Desmond Lam is an associate professor of marketing at the University of Macau. He can be reached at DesmondL[at]umac.mo. Visit www.DesmondL.com.