WWLegal.com :: Consultation on the Casino Control Bill (Update No.2)

Consultation on the Casino Control Bill (Update No.2)
Posted on Monday, October 17, 2005 - 12:00 AM

The Singapore Government has today opened the Casino Control Bill for public consultation. The draft Bill, an overview document, background information on the Integrated Resorts project and various speeches can be found at www.feedback.gov.sg .

The introduction to the consultation paper states:

Background

On 18 Apr 05, the Government announced its decision to proceed with the development of integrated resorts with casinos in Singapore. On the same day in Parliament, Mr Wong Kan Seng, Minister for Home Affairs, announced that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will adopt a strategy of comprehensive, tough and decisive action against any threats to Singapore's law and order situation arising from the casinos. Part of this strategy is to put in place a strict regulatory regime to ensure that the casinos remain free from criminal influence and that illegal activities on the premises are kept under control. This would come in the form of a Casino Control Act.

Consultation

2. When passed, the Casino Control Act will regulate casino operations in Singapore. MHA has studied the regulatory framework in other jurisdictions that have successfully contained the downsides of casinos, and incorporated relevant aspects into the draft Bill. MHA also took into consideration the various concerns that were surfaced in the consultation exercise that the Government conducted before it decided to proceed with the casinos.

3. MHA now invites interested parties to forward their views and comments on the draft Casino Control Bill.

Period of Consultation

4. MHA requests that comments be submitted by 11 Nov 05.

5. Interested parties may provide their comments using the feedback template below and upload it via the feedback form found at the bottom of the page.

Summary of Comments and Response

6. We will publish on this website a summary of the comments received together with our responses by 31 Dec 05. The summary will not disclose the identity of the respondents, and will not address or acknowledge individual comments received.

Reference Documents

7. The following documents related to this public consultation exercise can be downloaded for further reference :-

Background to the Integrated Resorts project ;
Minister for Home Affairs, Mr Wong Kan Seng's speech in Parliament on 18 Apr 05 ;
Overview of the Draft Casino Control Bill ;
Draft Casino Control Bill ; and
Feedback template.

Note: the reference documents can be found at http://app.feedback.gov.sg/asp/ocp/ocp01d1.asp?id=2845 .

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