Q21:Will the presence of a casino lead to an increase in law and order problems? Ans:The government has conducted study visits overseas and our law enforcement counterparts in other jurisdictions, such as Nevada, Australia and UK, have informed us that with a robust and stringent regulatory regime, casino-related crime can be kept under control. This is also borne out by findings that there is no relationship between crime and legalised gaming. In fact, the 2000 Public Sector Gaming Study Commission suggested that casinos are more of a crime deterrent than an instigator because the security on the premises of gambling facilities, the multiple layers of regulatory control and the economic and social benefits are effective deterrents to criminal activity.The New Jersey Control Commission also reported that in Atlantic City, the adjusted crime rate actually decreased from 69.9 per 1,000 visitors in 1977, to 52.6 in 1996. This was remarkable considering that the number of visitors increased by 400% during that period.For Singapore, we will put in place stringent regulatory controls such as imposing a tight licensing and screening regime for operators, and measures against money laundering, vice and illegal money lending. These would be similar to those imposed in leading gaming jurisdictions around the world which have successfully kept casino-related law and order problems under control.
