新加坡“Casino Control (Amendment) Bill ”《赌场管制（修正）法案》9月10日三读通过，可跳转连接：新加坡三读通过《赌场管制（修正）法案》，并于2024年10月30日生效 ，收紧对赌场、持牌人和股东的监管。
1. The Casino Control (Amendment) Act 2024 (the “Act”) was passed in Parliament on 10 September 2024. The Act will:
(a) Enhance the operational effectiveness of our casino regulatory regime;
(b) Tighten the regulation of the casinos and licensees;
(c) Strengthen protection for vulnerable groups; and
(d) Regularise the casino entry levies collected from 4 April to 7 May 2024.
2. The following provisions in the Act will come into effect on 30 October 2024.
Tighten the Regulation of the Casinos and Licensees
3. To ensure our laws remain effective in deterring casino-related crimes, the Casino Control Act (CCA) will be amended to:
(a) Introduce an offence for any person to destroy or falsify documents, knowing that the document is required to be produced to the Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) under the CCA. While it is already an offence for a person to destroy or falsify such documents, the offence will be amended to also cover any other person who handles or has access to the document (e.g. staff of the casino operator (CO)).
(b) Align the penalties of existing offences with similar offences in other laws. This includes increasing the penalties for: (i) providing false or misleading information to GRA, so that penalties are aligned to those of similar offences under the Banking Act; and (ii) a minor refusing to give particulars or using false evidence of age to enter a casino, so that the penalties are aligned to similar offences under the Gambling Control Act.
4. The CCA will also be amended to allow GRA to take disciplinary action against COs and special employees for regulatory breaches even after their licences have lapsed, if the disciplinary action had commenced prior to the licence lapsing. This ensures licensees do not avoid punishment for failing regulatory requirements, despite the lapse of their licences.
Strengthen the Regulation of Main Shareholders, Substantial Shareholders and Controllers
5. The CCA governs the acquisition and disposal of shares in the COs, and allows only approved persons to be main shareholders, substantial shareholders, or controllers of the COs. The CCA will be amended to enhance the approval regime for such persons:
(a) For main shareholders, powers related to the approval of associated divestments and acquisitions will be transferred from GRA to the Minister for Home Affairs. The Minister for Home Affairs is better placed than GRA to take into account whole-of-Government considerations, in deciding whether to approve divestments and acquisitions relating to main shareholdings.
(b) For controllers and substantial shareholders, related regulatory powers will be transferred from the Minister for Home Affairs to GRA. These are regulatory decisions relating to the suitability of persons who may exert influence or control over casino operations, and hence more appropriately undertaken by GRA.
(c) The criteria for identifying associates under the controlled shareholdings regime will be tightened. Currently, other than the corporate entity with controlled shareholdings in the casinos, all its related corporations (e.g. sister companies) are also subject to GRA’s approval. The CCA will be amended such that only corporations that are able to exercise influence or control over the CO will be subject to GRA’s approval.
Regularise Collection of Entry Levies
6. The casino entry levy serves as a social safeguard to deter casual and impulse gambling among Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents.
7. The CCA will be amended to reflect the existing entry levy rates (i.e. $150 for the daily levy, and $3,000 for the annual levy). The entry levies collected from 4 April to 7 May 2024, which were higher than the legislated amount at that time,7 will also be regularised. This is in line with the Government’s intent for introducing the higher entry levy rates, and maintains the effectiveness of the entry levy as a social safeguard.
8. The other provisions under the Act will be operationalised at a later date. For more information on the Act, please refer to the Annex.
