Some provisions under Singapore’s new Casino Control (Amendment) Act 2024, a statute passed by the city-state’s parliament on September 10, come into effect on Wednesday (October 30).
A Tuesday press release from the Ministry of Home Affairs said the amended act would: “Enhance the operational effectiveness of our casino regulatory regime; tighten the regulation of the casinos and licensees; strengthen protection for vulnerable groups; and regularise the casino entry levies collected from 4 April to 7 May 2024.”
The latter was a reference to resolving an administrative overlap. Between those dates levies for Singapore citizens and permanent residents to enter the country’s two casinos had reverted to an earlier, lower rate.
The amendment restores the parliament’s original intention of casino entry levies being at SGD150 (US$113 currently) per day and SGD3,000 yearly.
At the September second reading of the-then bill, there was also mention of changes to operational rules to permit cashless gaming.
That was not referred to in Tuesday’s press release on the coming into effect of the bill.
Other updates mentioned at the time of the first reading in August included enabling the city’s two casino operators to share patron data – without customer consent – for the purposes of tackling money laundering, terrorism financing and weapons proliferation financing.
Tuesday’s announcement said the other provisions under the amended act “will be operationalised at a later date”.
Singapore’s casino sector is a duopoly shared between Resorts World Sentosa, run by Genting Singapore Ltd; and Marina Bay Sands, operated by a unit of Las Vegas Sands Corp.
