Paying Gamblers To Go On Board Cruise Ship CasinoThe Sunday Times
28 Jan 2007
It's Free and Easy For Ship GamblersBut social wokers fear that the elderly may be sucked deeper into gambling trap by ships' tactics.
It is 7.45pm on a Wednesday evening. A mixed crowd made up of couples in their 30s, retirees, housewives and grannies turn up in taxis at an otherwise deserted Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, just in time to hop into the last ferry to Batam.
Their destination is Leisure World, a casino ship anchored in international waters off the coast of Batam, where they will forgo sleep for the chance to win a fortune at the jackpot machines and gaming tables.
There, they gamble right through to the next morning, when they take the first ferry back home at 6.15am.
In a bid to lure more gamblers to the ship last November, its operator, New Century Cruise Lines, lowered the fare of the last ferry ride on off-peak days (Sunday to Thursday) from $42 to $12.
Depending on how much money punters change on the ship, they can even get a rebate of up to $40 worth of chips to help subsidise the cost of the ferry ticket. Buffet meals are also provided free of charge.Two other casino ships, Lucky Star and Omar III, which offer day/night cruises, are offering similar incentives.
In fact, the rebate can sometimes exceed the cost of the ferry tickets, which means the casinos are effectively paying the gamblers to gamble.Lawyer Amolat Singh said: "Paying people to go on board is basically a sales tactic, like shopping centres giving out money vouchers to shoppers. Legally, there's nothing wrong."
But social workers The Sunday Times spoke to were concerned about these marketing tactics.
"It is very dangerous," said Mr Jonathan Siew, a senior counsellor at the Care Corner Counselling Centre. "The elderly gamblers are the least likely to get help, especially since their children are usually there to give them more money to feed their addiction."
They are also highly susceptible to falling for such cheap deals and are easily sucked deeper into the gambling trap, he added.
In the 2005 Gambling Prevalence Survey conducted by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS), 58 per cent of all Singaporeans said they have participated in at least one form of gambling activity in the past 12 months.
Only between 2 and 4 per cent of people surveyed had played jackpot machines or table games in cruises or casinos overseas, making them among the least popular activities.
About 2.1 per cent of those surveyed were probably problem gamblers.
Even though the proportion of such gamblers is small, the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) wants to make sure the figure does not grow.
Said NCPG chairman Lim Hock San: "Our Responsible Gambling Sub-committee is actively engaging gambling operators to implement responsible gambling practices. Thus far, we have met with Singapore Pools, Singapore Turf Club and several private clubs with jackpot rooms. Cruise ship and IR operators are next in line."
Measures will include displaying counselling helpline numbers and other information on problem gambling on their premises and training employees to identify and refer gambling addicts to counselling centres.
"Ultimately, public education on the harmful effects of problem gambling is key to empowering people to act responsibly," said Mr Lim.
The NCPG has set up two pilot counselling centres for problem gambling.
Those who need help can visit the centres or call the helplines: Thye Hua Kwan Moral Society (1800-X-GAMBLE) and Care Corner Counselling Centre (1800-6-668-66

People may also visit the National Council on Problem Gambling website at www.ncpg.org.sg for more information.