Casinos face heavy penalties should barred persons enter gaming floors
SINGAPORE: The National Council on Problem Gambling will soon be sending out letters to over 28,000 people in Singapore barring them from the two upcoming casinos.
The majority are undischarged bankrupts while the rest are recipients of public financial assistance.
Casinos face a potentially heavy penalty should they breach the rule.
But those issued with exclusion orders will be kept out including over
28,000 names whose precarious financial situation automatically bans
them from the gaming tables.
Singapore is the first such country to automatically bar this group of people.
Problem gamblers may also seek to exclude themselves from the
casinos, and in the one month since applications were opened, 56 have
done so.
Applications may also be made by family members and so far, 19 exclusion orders have been issued.
The orders were issued by the council but it is the casinos that will have to enforce the rule.
And if they don't, potentially heavy penalties await.
In response to MediaCorp, the Casino Regulatory Authority said it is a
condition of a gaming license that those barred from casinos not be
allowed in.
Should it happen, the casino has two weeks to explain why disciplinary action should not be taken.
A letter of censure will be sent out, and if changes are not made,
the casino may lose its license or be fined up to S$1 million.
These penalties also apply to situations where the casino operator is
found "no longer suitable" to hold the license, or if the casino was
deemed "no longer suitable for the conduct of casino operations".
The penalties may be heavy but they suggest the seriousness with which the issue is being tackled.
Both casinos said they are working closely with the authorities to ensure no one slips through.
Marina Bay Sands added that checks will be made at the door when Singaporeans and PRs pay entry fees.
- CNA/vm