Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Social and Family Development said in a press release on Tuesday, Aug 6, 2024, that a proposed change to the law would fix casino entry levies for Singapore citizens and permanent residents at S$150 (US$114) per day and S$3,000 yearly1. The change is part of the Casino Control (Amendment) Bill introduced in Parliament by Minister of State for Home Affairs and for Social and Family Development Sun Xueling on Tuesday1. The Casino Control Act was last amended in 20121.
The levies, which aim to deter casual and impulse gambling, had been increased on Apr 4, 2019 from S$100 daily and S$2,000 annually, for a period of five years1. MHA overlooked the expiry of the 2019 order, and the levies automatically reverted to the lower rates on Apr 4 this year1. On May 8, MHA restored them to the higher amounts, though they were still collected in the expiry period from Apr 4 to May 7, with about S$4.4 million collected above the legislated entry levy rates1.
"It was always the government's intent to maintain the higher entry levies beyond the five-year period."
The ministries said the proposed amendments would "regularize the higher entry levies" collected in the expiry period, and that "We have tightened our processes to avoid a repeat of such an incident"1. There are for now no plans to increase the entry levy further, though the authorities will keep monitoring and make changes when necessary, said MHA1.
Under the proposed changes, breaching a Family Visit Limit for casinos becomes a punishable offense, and an excluded person could be fined up to S$10,000 and jailed up to 12 months if found guilty1. About five individuals breach their Family Visit Limit on average each year1. Currently, it is only an offense to breach an Exclusion Order by Law, Third Party Exclusion Order, Third Party Visit Limit or Family Exclusion Order1. The Bill will also propose for the National Council on Problem Gambling and its committees to be able to immediately substitute an Exclusion Order with a Visit Limit, and vice versa1. The ministries said the current process usually takes one to two months, during which the individual would not be protected by any safeguards1.
The Bill also creates new offenses. It will be an offense to withdraw bets after the result of a game is known, where currently it is only an offense for patrons to place a bet after the result is out1. Between 2010 and last year, 10 people were investigated for withdrawing their bets after the results were out, under the offense of theft in dwelling1. It will also become a crime to cheat the casinos by recording play patterns of non-card games, such as gaming machines1. From 2010 to last year, there was one such case, involving three people who video-recorded the play patterns of a non-card game with a customized application on their smartphone devices, and they were all convicted for cheating at play under the Casino Control Act1.
The proposed changes will also extend the Gambling Regulatory Authority's regulation of casino activities to cover betting and lotteries, beyond games of chance1. The ministries said: "To be clear, there are currently no plans to allow casinos to carry out betting and lotteries"1. The Bill also transfers the powers to approve main shareholders from the GRA to the Minister for Home Affairs, while powers to approve controllers and substantial shareholders will be transferred in the other direction, from the Home Affairs Minister to the GRA1. The proposed changes would also allow the country's two casino operators to share patrons' information with each other to tackle money laundering, terrorism financing and proliferation financing1. Singapore has two casino operators, Genting Singapore, which runs Resorts World Sentosa, and Las Vegas Sands, which runs Marina Bay Sands1. Last year, there were 137 reports of crime at Singapore's casinos, or just 0.2 percent of all reported cases1.
What it means for players
For Singapore citizens and permanent residents, the daily and annual cost of entering a casino is set to return to the higher levels that applied from April 2019, after the rates briefly dropped between Apr 4 and May 7 this year1. The levy applies to citizens and permanent residents, not to foreign visitors, under the entry levy rules1. The Bill would also make breaching a Family Visit Limit a punishable offense carrying a fine of up to S$10,000 and up to 12 months in jail1. Players who withdraw a bet after the result is known, or who record play patterns of non-card games to cheat, would face new offenses under the amended Act1. The National Council on Problem Gambling and its committees would be able to switch an Exclusion Order to a Visit Limit, or the reverse, immediately rather than over one to two months1. The two operators would be able to share patrons' information directly with each other for anti-money-laundering and financing checks1.
What happens next
The Bill was introduced in Parliament on Aug 6, 20241. It has not been reported when it will be debated or passed. The Casino Control Act was last amended in 20121.
