Two Singapore casinos fined for breaching social safeguards
An attendant walks between rows of slot machines inside the Resorts World Sentosa casino on Singapore’s Sentosa Island in this file photo. The Casino Regulatory Authority of Singapore has imposed financial penalties totalling S$357,500 (RM891,332) and S$140,000 on Marina Bay Sands Pte Ltd and Resorts World at Sentosa Pte Ltd respectively for breaching social safeguard requirements. – Reuters picSINGAPORE, Aug 22 – The Casino Regulatory Authority of Singapore (CRA) has imposed financial penalties totalling S$357,500 (RM891,332) and S$140,000 on Marina Bay Sands Pte Ltd (MBS) and Resorts World at Sentosa Pte Ltd (RWS) respectively for breaching social safeguard requirements during the period May 1, 2011 to Oct 31 2011.
In addition, CRA said RWS has been censured for three cases of similar breaches during the period and MBS censured for failing to display the appropriate message on its progressive jackpot system on Oct 18, 2011.
In a statement, CRA said the casino operators were found to have not complied fully with social safeguard requirements, which are put in place to contain and control the potential harm of casino gambling to society.
CRA therefore imposed disciplinary actions on the casino operators for failing to prevent the following persons from entering and/or remaining on their casino premises.
They include Singapore citizens and permanent residents (SCPRs) without valid entry levies, including those who stayed beyond the 24 hours’ validity of their day entry levies; persons prohibited from entering the casinos by an exclusion order; and minors (i.e. persons under 21 years old).
CRA said MBS has been censured for breaching gaming equipment regulations for failing to ensure a winning message was accurately displayed on an Electronic Gaming Machine (EGM) when one of its patrons, Choo Hong Eng, hit a jackpot at the casino on Oct 18, 2011.
CRA’s investigations showed there was no deliberate intention by the operator to deceive or deprive the patron of her prize, which should have been a car.
Due to the inappropriate winning message on the EGM, the operator had on November 2011 paid S$416,742.11 to the patron.
CRA said the disciplinary actions taken serve to remind casino operators to act responsibly to uphold the integrity of social safeguards put in place by the authorities, adding it will take firm disciplinary actions if such breaches are established. – Bernama
