S$900 million net increase in casino tax revenue for MBS and RWS

The overall net increase in tax revenue from the casinos of Marina Bay Sands (MBS) and Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) accumulated to about S$900 million for FY10, according to estimates from the Ministry of Finance.
 
According to a Channel NewsAsia (CNA) report, the increase in casino tax revenue also stood at about S$900 million for the first 10 months of FY11, which is between April 2011 and January 2012.
 
In a written parliamentary reply from Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Chan Chun Sing to Member of Parliament for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC Gan Thiam Poh on Thursday, Chan said that both amounts took into account the loss of tax revenues from the dip in other gambling activities such as lotteries, horse and sports betting as well as fruit machines operated by clubs.
 
Chan also said that the total number of visitors visited by the two casinos have just been released by the operators. According to CNA, the data showed that last year, 136,434 unique local patrons visited the casino at RWS while 137,259 visited the casino at MBS.
 
The report added that after taking into account the estimated 30 per cent overlap in local patrons between both casinos, the total number of local visitors who visited the casinos is about 200,000.
 
According to Chan, who was quoted by CNA, most locals, even if they patronise the casinos, were not frequent visitors.
 
However, he said that the government is concerned about a small group of frequent gamblers. To help these compulsive gamblers, Chan said his ministry is considering introducing “circuit-breakers” and expanding third-party casino exclusion for a small group of problem gamblers and financially-vulnerable local gamblers who are regular patrons of the casinos.
 
He added that the ministry will also be consulting casino operators and the public in other gambling jurisdictions such as Holland, Austria and Australia on responsible gambling habits.