Singapore has recorded, for a period of 12 months till March 31, a shortfall of about 7.6 percent in revenue generated by collection of entry levy at the casinos. The figures were reported by the Singapore Totalisator Board, which is responsible for the collection of entry levy.
The reported revenue, by the Tote Board on Thursday, during the last 12 months of collection was approximated at about SGD 145.2 million, which fell short to SGD 134.4 million (US $99.6 million).
The entry levy, imposed at Singapore citizens and permanent residents, fell to the same level as of when two city-state casino venues opened in 2010. The Resorts World Sentosa and Marina Bay Sands subsidiaries of Genting Singapore Plc and Las Vegas Sands Corp respectively started their operation in first half of 2010. The entry levy is SGD2000 for a complete year and SGD100 for a single day pass.
The statistics reported by Tote Board suggested that the revenue generation through entry levy has been lowering since at least financial year 2012-2013.
The entry levy was part of the measures, designed by the Singapore government, to reduce the risk of gambling problems among its citizen. These measure were introduced before the casinos opening and launch.
In May 2014, the authorities had introduced a centralized system for ‘self-exclusion’. After four months, the non-casino gaming operators in the city had also joined the program.
Singapore’s National Council on Problem Gambling is authorized to implement a limit on individuals who are deemed frequent in their gambling with financial vulnerability. In the Lion City of Singapore, the gamblers can also decide their number of gambling visits per month to casinos.
Singapore Casino Regulatory Authority had earlier announced about the shortfall in the revenue generated by the fine imposed on the two gaming resort operators for their failure to impose entry levy on the locals. The statistics showed a 60 percent decline in the revenues record during financial year 2016. The data covered the 12 months of period to March 31, 2017.
The Singapore government plans to introduce stricter rules in the social clubs. The rules will cover the domain of slot machines availability and their usage.
Ministry of Home Affairs announced that failure to the implementation of the new rules regarding the non-gaming facilities will have to face the discontinuity of slot machine operations by April 30 of next year.
