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Channel
NewsAsia, 14 Mar 04
Not everyone will get to gamble in Singapore's
proposed casino
By Joanne Leow
SINGAPORE : Dual citizenship is not something that will be considered
now, as there is the issue of national service, Singapore's Home Affairs
Minister Wong Kan Seng has said. But the government will continue
to look into the matter.
The government has also elaborated on the possibility of having a
casino here, saying not everyone will get to gamble in it. Singapore
is studying ways to become more attractive to international gamblers.
But if a casino is built here, there will be strict restrictions to
limit access to it -- perhaps through a membership scheme. "We don't
want the man going there after work or the housewife going there when
she's free in the afternoon. So there must be controls on who can
gain access to the casino," said Trade and Industry Minister George
Yeo. "And if you are not of a certain economic class, you should not
even think of going there. You should confine yourself to 4D, Toto
or horse racing."
Most Singaporeans, however, were not happy to be left out. "Then it's
going to segregate Singaporeans. Then we won't have an identity that
we're all Singaporeans; we'll be like rich Singaporeans and poor Singaporeans,"
one person said. "If the rich folks want to go to a casino, they don't
have to go to the one in Singapore. There are plenty of places," said
another.
But as the Home Affairs Minister pointed out, there are some social
issues to consider. "If there is to be a casino, then what sorts of
measures will be needed to be put in place to make sure that crime
activities and syndicates, etc do not get infiltrated into that environment.
Basically the consideration must be law and order, how to ensure the
people do not get into trouble where they borrow heavily and where
they whittle away their lifelong savings," Mr Wong said. And the government
says it has no plans to develop a stand-alone casino. "We have no
intention of being the Las Vegas of Asia. What we want is an integrated
development of which the casino and other facilities will be possible
components," said Brigadier General Yeo.
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