The number of pending applications for smoking lounges in Macau’s casino market has piled up on the government’s desk.

Quoting a written reply of Health Bureau director Lei Chin Ion to Macau legislator Ella Lei Cheng I, GGRAsia reported that at least 73 smoking lounges are still waiting for Macau government to approve their application.

The letter, however, failed to mention which casinos had requested the government to approve their smoking lounges nor stated which casinos got the greenlight. What is clear is that there are a total of 86 smoking lounges that received a stamp of approval from the government – 83 of which were located  on main or ‘mass’ gaming floors; while the remaining three smoking lounges were situated in “areas restricted to certain gamblers.”

Two years ago, the government introduced a partial smoking ban that restricted smoking on casino main floors in the city state to the airport-style enclosed smoking lounges that do not have gaming tables or slot machines. Smoking cigarettes in VIP rooms are still allowed.