After an earlier oversight, the Ministry of Home Affairs ( MHA ) and the Ministry of Social and Family Development ( MSF ) announced in a press release on Tuesday ( Aug 5 ) that a proposed law change would fix casino entry taxes for Singapore citizens and permanent residents at S$ 114 ( US$ yearly ) and S$ 3, 000 annually.
The act was introduced by Sun Xueling, the minister of state for home affairs and cultural and family development, in Parliament on Tuesday. The final change to the Casino Control Act was in 2012.
The taxes, which aim to hinder everyday and urge playing, had been increased on Apr 4, 2019 from S$ 100 everyday and S$ 2, 000 yearly, for a period of five years.
But, MHA had overlooked the issuance of the 2019 purchase, and the taxes immediately reverted to the lower prices on Apr 4 this year.
Although they were still collected during the expiration period from April 4 through May 7, with approximately S$ 4.4 million being collected above the authorized entry tax costs, they were restored to their higher amounts on May 8.
The ministers stated in the press release that the government had always intended to control the higher entry taxes after the five-year window, adding that the proposed amendments do “regularise the higher entry taxes” collected after the expiration date.
We have made our procedures more stringent to prevent a similar event from occurring again.
The authorities will continue to monitor and adjust the passage tax as needed, according to MHA, but there are no plans to increase it further.
In violation of the proposed regulation changes, gambling in gambling becomes a criminal offense. An excluded people may be fined up to S$ 10, 000 and jailed up to 12 months if found guilty.
Family members create a home visit cap to determine how many times a person can gamble in a casino, including when their behavior has caused them injury, including financial and emotional distress, neglectful family obligations, or relationship breakdowns.  ,
On average, five people per month violate their Family Visit Limit.
A violation of an Exclusion Order by Laws, Third Party Exclusion Order, Third Party Visit Limit, or Home Exclusion Order is now merely a criminal offense.
The National Council on Problem Gambling and its boards will also be able to use the proposed amendments to replace an Exclusion Order with a Visit Limit, and vice versa.
The procedure typically lasts one to two weeks, according to MHA and MSF, without any protections protecting the person.
FUTURE-PROOFING Rules
The proposed changes will also extend the Gambling Regulatory Authority’s ( GRA ) regulation of casino activities to cover betting and lotteries, beyond games of chance.
” To be clear, there are currently no plans to help games to carry out betting and lotto”, MHA and MSF said in the press release.
Video software, which can be deployed on wireless equipment, could also be approved by the GRA if the need arises. This follows the GRA’s study of game system companies developing technology, without the equipment, which can be used on off-the-shelf products such as tablets.
Under the proposed changes, the GRA may even permit the development of new betting machines like electronic credits as chips for casinos in the future.
The Minister for Home Affairs has also been given the authority to appoint principal stockholders under the act.
As the primary owners are responsible for the development of the included accommodations and their long-term pledges in Singapore, the minister is much placed” to take into account whole-of-government factors”, MHA and MSF said.