| |
Today,
15 Mar 04
Controls for casino
By Lee Ching Wern chingwern@newstoday.com.sg
Measures will be put in place, say ministers
IF PLANS for a casino materialise, the Government will have to put
in place measures to ensure that criminal activities and social ills
do not infiltrate Singapore society, Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan
Seng told reporters yesterday.
Minister of Trade and Industry George Yeo announced in Parliament
last week that the Government is considering building a casino as
part of an international entertainment centre on Sentosa and the southern
islands.
"If there is a casino, the consideration would be law and order ...
measures should be put in place to ensure that criminal activities
and syndicates do not get infiltrated into our environment," Mr Wong
told reporters at a Bishan-Toa Payoh community event. Offshore casinos
are accessible to Singaporeans, but bringing a casino to our doorstep
is something Mr Wong had resisted for years.
Besides the proliferation of underground loan-shark businesses and
drug peddling, there may even be spill-over effects of matrimonial
and bankruptcy problems. Inevitably, some casino-goers — such as the
unemployed, housewives and retirees — may not be able to afford a
big gambling habit. "We have to ensure that people do not get into
trouble where they borrow heavily and whittle away their life-long
savings," said Mr Wong.
One of the ways would be to limit Singaporeans' access to the casino.
For instance, through having stringent criteria for membership, he
suggested.
Why, despite the many concerns, is the Government prepared to change
its previous stance? "It's not a case of suddenly waking up one day
and deciding to have a casino. As Singapore advances, we have to find
new ways of attracting people and investments. This is just one option
we are looking at," said Mr Wong. Still, die-hard gamblers should
not get their hopes up. "I don't think we should take it for granted
that there will be a casino. We'll embark on a study of this international
entertainment centre, of which there could be a casino, before coming
to a decision," said Mr Wong.
|
|
