MBS, RWS fined for social safeguard breaches
The Casino Regulatory Authority of Singapore (CRA) has fined Marina Bay Sands (MBS) $255,000 and Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) $130,000 for failing to comply with social safeguard requirements.
Both casinos failed to comply fully with the social safeguard requirements which are put in place to contain and control the potential harm of casino gambling to society. These include allowing Singaporeans without valid entry levies, persons with exclusions orders and minors to enter the casinos.
MBS was fined for allowing six persons with casino exclusions and two minors to enter and remain in the casino.
MBS had allowed 14 Singapore citizens and permanent residents (SCPR) to enter the casino without a valid entry levy of $100 per 24 hours. The casino had also allowed two SCPRs with expired entry levies to remain in the casino.
Separately, RWS had allowed one person with casino exclusion and six minors to enter and remain in the casino, and was censured for allowing five other minors entry.
CRA’s chief executive Lau Peet Meng stressed that these social safeguards are put in place to mitigate the casino's potential impact on vulnerable persons and to ring fence the casinos from potential criminal influence.
“We are taking tough disciplinary action against the casino operators for the cases where they have failed to show due care in complying with our requirements to prevent minors and excluded persons from entering the casinos, and to ensure that entry levies are duly paid,” he said.
“The operators will need to improve their entry systems and processes, exercise more diligence in carrying out their checks, and comply fully with our laws and regulations. CRA will not hesitate to take firm action against the operators should such incidents recur.”
In response to CRA's fines, a RWS spokesperson told Yahoo! Singapore, "We take these lapses seriously and have reinforced security personnel and checks at the casino entrance."
"RWS is committed to continuously review our entry systems and processes with the view of improving detection procedures," the spokesperson added.
"It is Marina Bay Sands’ top priority to comply with all regulatory requirements in Singapore. We endeavor to do so at all times," said an MBS spokesperson.
