NCPG: Casinos should cooperate on responsible gambling practices

[aurvandil]

A letter now from NCPG. This letter is quite mild but raises the pre-commitment system required under the Casino Control Act. While it was not on the table before, perhaps they are now considering something like a system which will lock gamblers out after they have lost a certain amount. For this to be effective, the amount set would have to be based on income.

This latest letter by NCPG looks like more "preperation of the ground" for changes to the current casino entry system.

Casinos should cooperate on responsible gambling practices

http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/sub/views/story/0,4574,407719,00.html

WE thank Larry Haverkamp for his letter "Get casinos to display odds of winning" (BT, Oct 6) as well as his letters to The Straits Times in September on the same issue.

Members of the public play a very important role to ensure that casino operators are transparent and responsible in their dealings with patrons.

The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) supports the prominent display of information on the odds of winning as well as of the house advantage as suggested by Mr Haverkamp.

We also agree that the disclosure must be simple and easy for people to understand.

NCPG also urges the casinos to prominently display information about the pre-commitment system required under the Casino Control Act.

The pre-commitment system empowers casino patrons to set a limit on the amount they are prepared to gamble. Once the limit is reached, the casinos are required to inform the patron to stop gambling.

NCPG encourages all patrons to set such limits so that no one will gamble beyond their means or fall into the well documented vicious circle of chasing losses.

NCPG has worked with the casinos to display the NCPG Helpline (1800-6-668-668). We hope the casinos will do much more to prominently display Responsible Gambling and Helpline messages on the casino floor.

Lim Hock San
Chairman
National Council on
Problem Gambling/

 

[Cestbon]

Nothing wrong with casino. They never point a gun/force anyone to gamble. They just promote by ad/free f&B, free transport....
Just like the Singaporepools- 4D, TOTO, Horse racing/football gambling is everywhere on Singapore island.

 

[halsey02]

Nothing wrong with casino. They never point a gun/force anyone to gamble. They just promote by ad/free f&B, free transport....
Just like the Singaporepools- 4D, TOTO, Horse racing/football gambling is everywhere on Singapore island.

The council is just another charade, they might as well write to SINgapore poolS to reduce the number of outlets, & away from the 'heartlands' & remove all the 'pools' outlets in Fair price supermarkets that make it so easy for one to gamble.

Why...money...it is money making machine, minting 24 hours a day for all connected, so tell all those involved to co-operate on responsible gambling...

 

[Cestbon]

The council is just another charade, they might as well write to SINgapore poolS to reduce the number of outlets, & away from the 'heartlands' & remove all the 'pools' outlets in Fair price supermarkets that make it so easy for one to gamble.

Why...money...it is money making machine, minting 24 hours a day for all connected, so tell all those involved to co-operate on responsible gambling...

Complaint about Casino only 2 location but Singapore Pools outlet about 1000 but keep quiet and many betting place are in heartland and supermarket. Even school children also can buy those have more mature look. Casino at least more strict check on age. There more those private club with jackpot machine why keep quiet.
To NCPG hit your head on the wall. Why double standard? Want to ban ! Ban all together.

 

[jw5]

Complaint about Casino only 2 location but Singapore Pools outlet about 1000 but keep quiet and many betting place are in heartland and supermarket. Even school children also can buy those have more mature look. Casino at least more strict check on age. There more those private club with jackpot machine why keep quiet.
To NCPG hit your head on the wall. Why double standard? Want to ban ! Ban all together.

If the pap government dares to shut down sg pools outlets selling 4D and toto, that could be the one factor that causes a change in government after the next ge.

 

[aurvandil]

The publication of the NCPG letter is just part of the "ground preperation" process.

Recently there have been a series of "anti-casino" articles, suggesting that perhaps they will be changing the casino entry rules soon as the current $100/$2k levy system is not working very well.

The NCPG letter appears intentionally mild as they do not want to upstage whatever Minister Balakrishnan wants to announce. By taking such a meek position, Minister Balakrishnan can then be seen as taking "decisive action" that is much stronger that what the "experts" had proposed.