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Behave at casinos or risk a ban
Offences include theft, cheating, fighting
By Huang Lijie
PLAY nice at the casino or you could be banned from entering even without an exclusion order.
Casinos here have been declaring patrons who breach house rules persona non grata - Latin for 'an unwelcome person' - and barring them entry. These patrons will be given a notice informing them that they are barred from the premises.
Unlike exclusion orders such as the voluntary and family exclusions that are implemented by the authorities, casinos can decide on their own whom they will allow on their premises.
Indeed, any business that owns private property has the right to deny a customer entry and they usually do so when the guest is a threat to the business or other patrons.
Companies here with customer blacklists include nightspots, country clubs, airline carriers and even supermarkets.
Patrons who ignore the ban on them can be arrested for trespassing.
Earlier this month, construction worker Liu Shimeng was fined a total of $3,000 for criminal trespass and entering the Marina Bay Sands casino after it had declared him persona non grata.
The 32-year-old Chinese national was barred from the casino about 21/2 months ago after he was convicted of theft from the casino.
But he ignored the ban and entered the casino last month. He was later caught in the gaming section by a security officer.
Liu also had an exclusion order issued by the Commissioner of Police, which has barred some 3,500 people with serious criminal records, including illegal moneylending and prostitution, from the casinos.
The National Council on Problem Gambling has also registered 35,000 third-party exclusion orders for undischarged bankrupts and those on public assistance, 2,500 self-exclusion orders and 194 family exclusion orders.
Marina Bay Sands did not reply to queries from The Straits Times on how it enforces persona non grata.
Resorts World Sentosa said it has made guests 'who breach house rules' persona non grata, although it declined to say how many.
Las Vegas-based casino consultant Andrew Klebanow said it is common for casinos elsewhere to declare customers persona non grata, but it is often as a last resort to keep out unsavoury characters.
He said: 'Casinos are not in the business to exclude patrons but if a customer behaves egregiously and demonstrates himself to be a danger to others, casinos are obligated to deny admission to those patrons.'
He added that punters made persona non grata are usually those who steal from other customers or from the casino, those who cheat, or those who fight in the casino or pose a physical threat to others.
At Resorts World Sentosa, an internal committee deliberates on the decision before a guest is served a persona non grata notice.
Mr Oh Kar Chye, vice-president of security services at the integrated resort, said guests served the notice can appeal against it.
He added: 'Guests made persona non grata will have their information uploaded into our security system so that any attempt to enter the casino will be detected at the entrance.'
Offences include theft, cheating, fighting
By Huang Lijie
PLAY nice at the casino or you could be banned from entering even without an exclusion order.
Casinos here have been declaring patrons who breach house rules persona non grata - Latin for 'an unwelcome person' - and barring them entry. These patrons will be given a notice informing them that they are barred from the premises.
Unlike exclusion orders such as the voluntary and family exclusions that are implemented by the authorities, casinos can decide on their own whom they will allow on their premises.
Indeed, any business that owns private property has the right to deny a customer entry and they usually do so when the guest is a threat to the business or other patrons.
Companies here with customer blacklists include nightspots, country clubs, airline carriers and even supermarkets.
Patrons who ignore the ban on them can be arrested for trespassing.
Earlier this month, construction worker Liu Shimeng was fined a total of $3,000 for criminal trespass and entering the Marina Bay Sands casino after it had declared him persona non grata.
The 32-year-old Chinese national was barred from the casino about 21/2 months ago after he was convicted of theft from the casino.
But he ignored the ban and entered the casino last month. He was later caught in the gaming section by a security officer.
Liu also had an exclusion order issued by the Commissioner of Police, which has barred some 3,500 people with serious criminal records, including illegal moneylending and prostitution, from the casinos.
The National Council on Problem Gambling has also registered 35,000 third-party exclusion orders for undischarged bankrupts and those on public assistance, 2,500 self-exclusion orders and 194 family exclusion orders.
Marina Bay Sands did not reply to queries from The Straits Times on how it enforces persona non grata.
Resorts World Sentosa said it has made guests 'who breach house rules' persona non grata, although it declined to say how many.
Las Vegas-based casino consultant Andrew Klebanow said it is common for casinos elsewhere to declare customers persona non grata, but it is often as a last resort to keep out unsavoury characters.
He said: 'Casinos are not in the business to exclude patrons but if a customer behaves egregiously and demonstrates himself to be a danger to others, casinos are obligated to deny admission to those patrons.'
He added that punters made persona non grata are usually those who steal from other customers or from the casino, those who cheat, or those who fight in the casino or pose a physical threat to others.
At Resorts World Sentosa, an internal committee deliberates on the decision before a guest is served a persona non grata notice.
Mr Oh Kar Chye, vice-president of security services at the integrated resort, said guests served the notice can appeal against it.
He added: 'Guests made persona non grata will have their information uploaded into our security system so that any attempt to enter the casino will be detected at the entrance.'
