| |
Today,
22 Mar 04
Members-only casino?
By Tay Tsen-Waye waye@newstoday.com.sg
Restrictions do not mean S'poreans are 2nd class citizens
THE aim of building a casino here is not to promote gambling but to
enable Singapore to compete economically with other countries in the
region, said Minister for Trade and Industry BG George Yeo yesterday.
BG Yeo also gave the assurance that restricting access to the casino
— with a members-only system, for instance — did not mean that Singaporeans
were being treated as second-class citizens.
Speaking at a dialogue session with grassroots leaders and residents
of Bukit Batok East, the minister stressed that the earlier reasons
against building casinos still applied. The Government will not "throw
those out of the window", he said. "Gambling is part of our culture,
whether it's Toto or horse racing or football pools. You can't stop
Singaporeans, especially Chinese Singaporeans from wanting to gamble.
We can only hope to control it and keep it within bounds."
A gambling facility within "a world-class residential and resort development"
would help Singapore achieve a number of economic objectives. It would
create jobs, bring in "international money" and investments, and enable
Singapore to attract "rich and famous tourists". "We want to attract
international gamblers and wealthy tourists," he said. But, he acknowledged
that addiction to gambling can "destroy families". And while the Government
is considering opening a casino on the Southern Islands, such a move
should not create social problems. "We don't want high-risk Singaporeans
to patronise these casinos when they cannot afford it … We don't want
to be a Las Vegas. Or a Macau. We don't want to have the crime and
the sleaze that go with such activities."
While a large number of Singaporeans are flocking to offshore or other
casinos, BG Yeo said, the mere effort of travelling to say, Genting
Highlands or Batam, or board a Star Cruise, acts as a psychological
barrier. "You have to cross the Causeway, must have your passport,
take a boat. And there are also other pressures. Family members can
ask where you are going and why. "There are Singaporeans who, in spite
of anything we do, will still want to gamble. But we will not make
it easier for them," he added.
To find a system suitable for Singapore, the Government is studying
cities that have been successful in setting up casinos. |
|
