Singapore's Casino Control (Amendment) Bill was introduced in Parliament on 6 August 2024, raising the entry levies in section 116(1) of the Casino Control Act 2006 from $100 to $150 and from $2,000 to $3,0001. The bill, published in the Government Gazette as Bill No. 24/2024, also amends the Gambling Control Act 2022 and the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Singapore Act 20221.
The levy changes are set out as direct substitutions in the principal Act: in subsection (1)(a), replace "$100" with "$150", and in subsection (1)(b), replace "$2,000" with "$3,000"1. The bill also provides that "The Minister may, by order in the Gazette, vary the entry levies specified in subsection (1)"1. The Act "comes into operation on a date that the Minister appoints by notification in the Gazette"1.
The bill adds anti-money laundering provisions covering large transactions. It covers the case "when the casino operator receives a sum of $4,000 or more (whether or not in cash) in a single transaction from, or on behalf of, a patron" and "when the casino operator enters into a transaction involving the payment of $4,000 or more (whether or not in cash) in a single transaction to a patron or to any person acting on behalf of a patron"1. The Authority may issue a written notice to every casino operator "for the purposes of permitting and requiring the disclosure and sharing of certain information by casino operators to prevent and detect money laundering, terrorism financing or the financing of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction"1. A casino operator who fails to comply "shall be liable to disciplinary action"1.
Other changes include new grounds for assessing license suitability, among them "whether there has been a systemic deficiency or failure in the applicant's internal controls or corporate governance"1. The bill also allows the Minister to prescribe the maximum gaming area and the maximum number of gaming machines and gaming programs for any casino, by reference to the terms of the Development Agreement concerning that casino1. It redefines terms including casino gambling, casino game, casino chip, gaming program and electronic table game, and creates the category of "casino-excluded person"1.
"It was introduced in Parliament on 6 August 2024."
What it means for players
The levy increase applies to the entry levies in section 116(1) of the Casino Control Act 2006, which are the charges Singapore citizens and permanent residents pay to enter the two casinos. The bill does not change the position of foreign visitors, who are not covered by those levies. The new amounts, $150 and $3,000, take effect only when the Minister appoints a commencement date by notification in the Gazette, so the current $100 and $2,000 figures remain in force until then1. The bill also gives the Minister power to vary the levies by order in the Gazette in future1.
The $4,000 transaction threshold and the information-sharing notice apply to casino operators, not to patrons directly, but they mean larger cash and non-cash transactions at the cage and elsewhere will be recorded and shared with the Authority1. The bill also confirms that a casino-excluded person who knows or ought reasonably to know of that status "must not" enter or remain on casino premises or take part in casino gambling or promotional games there1.
What happens next
The bill was read the first time on 6 August 20241. Its commencement date has not been set; the Act comes into operation on a date the Minister appoints by notification in the Gazette1. No date for the second reading has been reported.
For background on the current charges, see Singapore's Casino Entry Levy: Who Pays and How Much and Casino Entry Levies and Fees in Asia. General rules on access and conduct are covered in Casinos and Integrated Resorts in Asia, and the wider legal picture in Gambling Laws in Asia and Can I Gamble in Singapore?.
Sources1 sources
- abaf00a7-9397-490b-a98d-48490c3025dd 1..109, sso.agc.gov.sg
