MCYS SPEECH NO:

21/2005
DATE OF ISSUE:
21/04/2005

Embargoed Until After Delivery

Please Check Against Delivery

SPEECH BY DR VIVIAN BALAKRISHNAN, MINISTER FOR COMMUNITY

DEVELOPMENT, YOUTH AND SPORTS, AND SECOND MINISTER FOR
TRADE AND INDUSTRY, ON INTEGRATED RESORT, on 21 APRIL 2005 AT
PARLIAMENT HOUSE

Help for Problem Gamblers and Social Safeguards in Casinos

Have our Values changed?

1. Sir, all members of this house have been concerned about the social
impact. At the top of many people’s minds was the question - Will the casinos in
the IRs undermine our foundational values as a society?

2. We believe in fairness, meritocracy, integrity and hard work. Singapore is

what it is today because of hard work and perseverance. Hard work and effort
will be rewarded. This should not change with the IRs.

3. The IRs are expected to generate 35,000 jobs. I want to stress that these
are honest, decent jobs. Jobs which will ensure our people continue to earn a
good living in the midst of stiff international competition. Jobs which many,
especially the older, less skilled workers, can fill as we restructure our economy.

4. Although our core values must not change, we must be prepared to

change our image and enhance our ability to pursue opportunities, even if these
opportunities expose us to some risk. The two IRs represent opportunities, but
bring with them attendant social risks. Consequently, the debate has quite rightly
focussed on the social safeguards to mitigate these social problems.

Will our safeguards prevent problem gambling?

5. Ahmad Magad is absolutely right, that “prevention is better than cure”. The
key preventive measure is public education.

6. MCYS will set aside $1 million to fund public education and prevention
programmes run by VWOs and community groups which are targeted at specific
groups, be they the young, elderly or low income households. The National
Council on Gambling will advise MCYS on the allocation of this fund.

7. Wang Kai Yuen and Gan Kim Yong have stressed the importance of
inculcating values and moral education in our young, and building upon what
their parents teach them at home. The National Council on Gambling can work
through MCYS’ School Family Education and other school-based programmes to
reach out to students. MCYS will also work with the Council to use popular TV
dramas and radio shows to reach out to the public.

8. Wang Kai Yuen also suggested raising the age limit up from 21 years for
the casino. I would like to remind the House that the current age limit for
gambling is 18 years. Therefore, using 21 years as the age limit for the casino is
already a higher standard.

Will the social safeguards for the casinos deter gambling addicts?

9. Many MPs, including Sin Boon Ann, Tan Soo Khoon and Ahmad Magad
expressed doubts that $100 is enough to deter a compulsive gambler. Sir, the
levy is not designed to achieve that. The entry levy to signal that gambling is an
expense, not a way to make money. It also discourages casual gambling. It is set
at a higher level that what it would cost you to go to Batam or even Gentings.
Therefore, we are not making gambling more accessible than it currently is.

10. But let me say frankly that no amount of levy will deter compulsive
gamblers. This is where the exclusion measures come in to serve as tripwires
that will identify and detect those who are at risk or are already addicts, and keep
them out of the casinos.

11. Mr Sin also suggested, restricting expenditure or the number of times a

person can visit the casino. We will study this, but frankly, if we have to
micromanage a person to this extent, perhaps it may be better to just exclude
him in the first place. My working assumption is that the majority of Singaporeans
can assume personal responsibility for managing their expenditures. However, if
you belong to the minority who is at risk of addiction, then better exclude
yourself.

How will the casino exclusion measures work?

12. Like most other jurisdictions, we will have voluntary self-exclusion but we
know few addicts will own up to their problems. This is why we will go further.

13. First, the National Council on Gambling will be given the authority, through
legislation, to automatically exclude all those in poor financial straits like
bankrupts and those with bankruptcy petitions filed against them, those with poor
credit records, and those on publicly funded social assistance.

14. We will empower families - spouses, children, parents and siblings. If your
loved one has a gambling problem and you want them to be excluded from the
casino, inform the National Council on Gambling. The Council will look into the
matter, and if valid, invoke their authority to exclude him or her from the casinos.
We will make this process a simple one.

15. Sin Boon Ann cautions that it would be hard for a family member to
exercise such an exclusion, as it may cause family discord He asked if social
workers and community leaders could also be given the authority. However, it is
the family that has the most to lose if a member becomes addicted. Our intention
is to emphasise the role of the family in solving problems, and to provide a
means for the family to signal for help.

16. Geh Min suggested that we set up a Tribunal, which will conduct hearings
similar to that of a court. In South Australia, where they have a family-based
exclusion system, they have opted for a simple process whereby the complainant
lodges an application with the Independent Gambling Authority. A minimum of
two members of the Authority would then interview the complainant, the
respondent and any other relevant persons. The authority is not bound by rules
of evidence. This has worked well for them. We think a similar interview process,
with the decision made by a panel of well respected individuals appointed by the
Council, should suffice. The Council itself will act as an appellate body and its
decision will be final. Why such an approach? Families of problem gamblers
can ill afford a long drawn process, possibly with legal costs. As I have
mentioned, we want our system to be a simple, efficient and low cost one.

17. However, let me assure Arthur Fong and Geh Min that we will ask the
National Council on Gambling to consult the family, social service, religious and
community sectors on how best to structure the exclusion provisions before we
implement them.

Will we relax our safeguards over time? Or conversely, should we

increase them now to curb problem gambling?
18. Sir, the social safeguards that we have put in place are already strict, if not
stricter, than in other jurisdictions. We will review them from time to time, and
adopt best practices that have proven to be effective in minimising problem
gambling. At the same time, we must avoid over-regulating, and thereby
unnecessarily undermining the viability of the IR.

Will we commit adequate resources to tackle problem gambling?

19. The Government is committed to do what it takes to tackle problem

gambling squarely.

20. Chew Heng Ching has recommended channelling 5% of the casino’s

gaming tax revenue to fund national programmes. We do not see the need to
ring-fence revenue in this manner. Funding should be needs-based, and not
dependent on revenue collected. We expect to incur $40m annually. If we need
more, we will ask for more.

21. Further, as Arthur Fong reminded the House yesterday, all the entry levies
collected will be channelled to the Singapore Totalisator Board for charitable and
worth causes.

22. I would also like to put things in perspective. Gambling is not the biggest
or only social problem we face.

What role will the social sector play in the national framework on
gambling?

23. First, all FSCs and CDCs will play the critical role of helping to identify and
sift out problem gamblers. And we have wasted no time. Tomorrow, CAMP
(Community Addiction Management Programme) and my Ministry will run its first
training programme for FSCs and CDCs. The objectives are to: a) understand
how gambling addictions develop; b) be aware of common signs and symptoms
and c) screen for problem and pathological gamblers. For FSC staff, they will
also be trained to provide basic intervention that would include education, goal
setting and referral.

24. On Monday, I said that we would identify 1 or 2 service centres to provide

specialised counselling services for problem gambling. As of now, there are
already 4 centres, comprising 2 FSCs and 2 counselling centres which have
come forward and indicated interest in undertaking this role. CAMP, MCYS and
NCSS will come up with the full training programme for their staff. And to show
we mean business, we will do as Othman Haron Eusofe has recommended. We
will not flinch from benchmarking our services with the best available in the world.

Will we do more research?

25. Yes. More research is needed. We will repeat our gambling prevalence
and problem gambling study at regular intervals. We will monitor the trends, and
see how we are faring.

26. We will also work with CAMP and specialist FSCs to develop a better
understanding of local problem gamblers. This could include in-depth studies on
issues such as the help-seeking behaviour of problem gamblers, associated
problems faced by problem gamblers, and the needs of affected families. It will
also include evaluation studies on the public education and treatment
programmes we put in place. Such research will help us to develop local
programmes and services that work.

What’s our timeline?

27. On Monday, I said we will set up the National Council on Gambling in the
second half of the year. Over these last few days, several well respected
individuals have already told me that they are willing to serve on the Council.
Our plan is to set up the Council by July or August this year. The Council can
then start work, and roll out public education messages early.

28. We will also start equipping our FSCs and CDCs. As I said earlier, the
first training programme kicks off tomorrow at CAMP.

29. As for building the specialist centres in the community, and enacting
legislation for the National Council on Gambling to have exclusion powers, these
will take more time. Let me assure the House that we will keep up the
momentum and have them up in good time before the casinos start operations.

Let’s Close Ranks

30. I am deeply heartened that all the MPs, even those who oppose the
integrated resorts with casinos, agree on the need to work together to address
the social ills of problem gambling.

31. We will ensure that those who need help, can and will get help. We will
put in place the best framework possible to combat problem gambling. In this
way, we will always remain a good place to build our families and bring up our
children, even whilst we pursue new economic opportunities.

- END -