Front-line staffers working in casinos run by Macau's six licensed gaming operators are required to wear name tags starting this month, so that non-local employees can be "distinguished" from local ones, the Macao Daily Times reported on Saturday.

The Special Administrative Region's Labor Affairs Bureau said in a statement that it expected the public to support the scheme and help "monitor" if the casinos employ illegal immigrant workers.

There are 31 casinos in Macau that are operated by the six licensed gaming companies. According to figures from the SAR government, the gaming sector employs more than 32,000 people, including locals and non-locals.

Under the SAR government's regulations, only locals can work as dealers in casinos, which have helped a large number of locals with low education find jobs with a good income.

The name-tag move came as civil groups demanded more job protection from the government. To protect local jobs amid the global financial crisis, the SAR government has announced it will cut the quota for immigrant workers at each casino, and expand the job limitation on casino dealers to supervisors.

With such efforts by the SAR government, the number of non-local casino employees was expected to decline to just over 1,200.

(Xinhua News Agency?March 2, 2009)