100 dollar to enter

Oh yes. Singapore first Casino is finally open at Sentosa and it comes with a hefty 100 dollars entrance fee for Singaporeans and F.O.C for foreigners regardless of race, language or religion. Yet again, Sentosa center itself as a popular tourist magnet but stronger this time round with new thing for the adults and new thing for the kids. Never mind the 100 dollars money "lost" just to be in the game, it still attracted many fellow Singaporeans to try their luck on the first day of CNY.

Nevertheless, I heard lots of people loss money on the first day of the year of the tiger (entrance fee + table money). It goes to show that operating a casino is a profitable business and the house advantage is always there. And the lure of gambling was so much powerful that a few Singaporean even tried to sneak without paying the entrance fee (they were eventually ban from entering the Casino).

The 100 dollar entrance fee only last for 24 hours and only applicable to Singaporean. Foreigner, tourist or worker alike get to enter for free. I do question the viability of the 100 dollar fee when news had already breakout that an Indonesian attempted to steal a handphone after losing $1000 at the Casino recently. Not all foreigners working in Singapore earn top dollars especially our hardworking China and Bangladeshi workers in the construction line.

I don't think there is any difference in the impact of Casino on social problems whether there is a 100 dollar entrance fee or not. At the end of the day we don't only have tourist but foreigner workers with their money stake on the table and a F.O.C Casino entry. Wouldn't social problem be manifested when some of them fell to temptation and lost their money, the money they are suppose to send home to their family in another country? Noting that the gambling culture are especially strong in the Chinese community and we do obviously now have many Chinese foreign worker here, wouldn't they be in trouble as a result of losing too much money at Casino?

The 100 dollar entrance fee is a very poor solution to curb social problem related to gambling when it treat Singaporean differently from other foreign member of our inclusive population. It can be seen as unfair for both side of the population. On one hand, 100 dollar restrict access to Singaporean who paid tax and vote for our current government who in turn came out with the grand plan to built Casinos. On the other hand, 100 dollar waiver for foreigner inaccurately justified them as sound minded, discipline and had good personal restrain on the poker tables as not to be of any problem to Singapore.

Yet again we can't extend this 100 dollar fee to foreign worker/employee working and staying in Singapore just to curb any social problem that might crop up from a different root of the same tree, they are in some way tourist as well. So why don't we just take this 100 dollar fee out so every human in Singapore can enjoy the Casino? In the United States, there is no such thing as a entrance fee for the locals. If we want to match up to the world standards like Las Vegas, off goes the 100 dollar entrance fee.

In place of it, a better deterrence will be good education program on gambling, publicity on responsible gambling and a keen eye on the casino floor for problem gamblers. The use of entrance ban of problem gamblers are also a very good solution. Finally publicity program on responsible gambling should be made into all main languages and be extended even to the dormitory of foreign workers in Singapore.