A Fruitful 2024 for Sands China’s Responsible Gaming Work

 

（Macao, May 6, 2025） – Sands China closed out a successful year of responsible gaming initiatives in 2024, further strengthening its long-standing efforts to engage communities, team members, and visitors.

“Sands China is pleased to see the continued success of our thorough responsible gaming programme, as we look back on a year of multifaceted initiatives,” said Grant Chum, chief executive officer and executive director of Sands China Ltd. “Through efforts such as roadshows, donations and training, we engaged team members, visitors and the Macao community to spread awareness, transfer knowledge and develop skills in the area of responsible gaming. The company is grateful for the resolute and effective collaboration between government departments, community organisations and team members as they worked – and continue to work – on spreading the invaluable message of responsible gaming. This year, the company will continue to spare no effort in promoting responsible gambling and building a healthy and sustainable environment for the development of the community and the industry.”

Responsible Gaming Implementation Model Unit
The Sands Macao Casino passed the Responsible Gambling Indicators programme initiated by the Macao SAR government and was awarded the qualification of Responsible Gaming Implementation Model Unit in 2024. It marks three straight years that Sands China has been the first concessionaire in the calendar year to gain the qualification. As of 2024, all five of Sands China’s casinos have successfully passed the programme and received the Model Unit qualification.

Donations
In 2024, Sands China continued its annual responsible gaming donation programme, contributing MOP 1,000,000 to support five local social service organisations. These funds facilitated community workshops, roadshows, and public education campaigns to raise awareness about responsible gaming principles. Sands China has donated more than MOP 8.9 million for responsible gaming since 2006, an annual practice that is part of the company’s commitment to corporate social responsibility and its support to the sustainable development of the local gaming industry.

Roadshows
Sands China conducted 52 back-of-house responsible gaming roadshows in 2024, engaging more than 37,000 team members; the company also held themed workshops and events focusing on eight preferred attitudes and behaviours, ranging from Traditional Chinese Medicine to candle-making and family-inclusive activities. These roadshows reinforced to team members how responsible gaming concepts can seamlessly integrate into their daily lives. 

Training
Sands China’s responsible gaming team conducted 70 training sessions in 2024, comprising over 6,000 hours of training. These sessions provided team members with essential knowledge of responsible gaming principles and practices, ensuring that all team members can effectively assist guests in need.

One key initiative is Responsible Gaming Ambassador Advanced Training, which Sands China created in partnership with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). This advanced course focuses on international case studies and practical applications for global audiences. Team members who complete the training become Responsible Gaming Ambassadors, thereby learning international best practices to prepare them to assist a growing and diverse range of visitors. After completing training, each team member is recognised with a certificate from UNLV and a Sands China Responsible Gaming Ambassador pin. The programme launched in 2013 and has since been delivered to nearly 650 team members.

In the RG 360 – Macao Responsible Gaming Specialist Ambassador Course, developed in collaboration with the University of Macau, participants focus on localised responsible gaming content. Twenty-one of Sands China’s Responsible Gaming Ambassadors completed the course in 2024, which included training that illustrated how to help identify responsible gaming incidents and the appropriate actions for handling them.

In another initiative, 55 Responsible Gaming Ambassadors visited Hong Kong’s Tung Wah Group of Hospitals as part of Sands China’s unique cross-border programme, the Responsible Gaming Hong Kong Training Tour. They studied advanced approaches to problem gambling prevention and participated in stress-relief workshops, enhancing both professional expertise and personal well-being.

Community Outreach and Other Initiatives
Sands China actively promoted responsible gaming in the community through diverse online outreach initiatives in 2024. Highlights included: a responsible gaming slogan competition whose winning entries will be integrated into future campaigns; a series of mini-documentaries spotlighting the Responsible Gaming Ambassadors, aiming to promote the importance of proactively seeking help; and interactive online activities combining education with entertainment, which resonated particularly well with younger audiences and effectively communicated responsible gaming principles.

In another effort, Sands China fully supported the Macao SAR government’s responsible gaming promotion policy by holding a six-day responsible gaming photo exhibition and game booth event at The Venetian® Macao. It promoted responsible gaming knowledge to the general public and to tourists, successfully attracting more than 75,000 participants. Sands China sponsored local NGOs to conduct a series of street interviews at popular tourist locations to further promote responsible gaming; the company also assisted NGOs to run the Responsible Gaming Promotion Day. These initiatives provided visitors with an engaging way to understand responsible gaming concepts.

Sands China hosted several responsible gaming carnivals for the community during the year, featuring educational games, interactive booths, and thematic parent-child workshops. A high point was the Sands China Responsible Gaming Parent-Child Carnival. It drew the participation of over 150 individuals and families, comprising team members, members of local NGOs, and their children. The family-oriented event focused on parent-child responsible gaming education, particularly in regard to financial management for youth.

Additionally, Sands China launched its Responsible Gaming Runners initiative in September 2024; it promotes health and well-being by encouraging team members to embrace the principles of moderation and self-discipline in both work and personal life through regular fitness activities.

These and other efforts are part of the Sands Responsible Gaming Academy, which is committed to promoting the education and well-being of its guests and team members, in recognition of the importance of responsible gaming in the Macao community. Sands China was the first gaming operator in Macao to launch a self-exclusion programme in 2004, and was a pioneer in including responsible gaming training in its company-wide team member orientation programme. Sands China established its comprehensive responsible gaming programme in 2007, with the goals of contributing to the continuous development of the Macao community, bearing corporate responsibility in addressing social issues and developing an environment and a culture of responsible gaming in Macao.

The Sands Responsible Gaming Academy is one of eight sub-academies under the umbrella of the Sands China Academy – a broad talent development platform established by Sands China for its team members and local industry professionals. In addition to providing diversified training programmes for team members, the academy collaborates with local and international tertiary educational institutions to promote the development of professionals in various industries in Macao.