Vulnerable Elderly with Gambling Predispositions Purchasing Cheap Membership into Private Clubs with Jackpot Machines
Ministry of Home AffairsSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns whether the Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) should investigate vulnerable elderly persons with gambling predispositions purchasing relatively cheap memberships to access jackpot machines and regularly audit responsible gaming standards. Mr Murali Pillai raised these concerns, to which Minister K Shanmugam responded that while GRA does not regulate membership criteria, it conducts onsite inspections to ensure compliance with gambling requirements. Minister K Shanmugam highlighted that gaming room access requires at least a one-year membership and operators must prominently display responsible gambling materials and provide assistance. Furthermore, the Gambling Control Act legally excludes financially vulnerable individuals, such as undischarged bankrupts and social assistance recipients, from entering gaming machine rooms. Additionally, the law bars individuals with self-exclusion, third-party, or family exclusion orders from entering these facilities to protect them from problem gambling.
Transcript
52 Mr Murali Pillai asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether the Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) can consider investigating cases of vulnerable elderly persons with gambling predispositions being allowed to purchase relatively cheap membership into private clubs purely with a view to gain access to the jackpot machines there; and (b) whether GRA can consider regularly auditing and assessing the responsible gaming standards of private clubs with jackpot machines.
Mr K Shanmugam: Under the Gambling Control Act, a club that wishes to operate a gaming machine room, including a room with jackpot machines, is required to obtain a licence from the Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA).
Clubs decide on the qualifying criteria of their memberships through their own rules and by-laws. GRA does not regulate the membership criteria.
Notwithstanding, GRA exercises regulatory oversight of the gambling activities, and conducts onsite inspections to ensure compliance with its requirements.
For instance, persons who do not have a membership term of at least one year are not allowed to enter the gaming machine room. Gaming machine room operators are also required to prominently display responsible gambling materials and the National Council on Problem Gambling’s helpline in the gaming machine room, and render assistance to individuals who show signs of problem gambling, or who enquire about self-exclusion.
In addition, financially vulnerable individuals are excluded by law from gaming machine rooms. These include undischarged bankrupts, individuals on Government social assistance and legal aid schemes, as well as tenants and occupiers of the Housing Development Board Public Rental Scheme. Individuals with self-exclusion, third party exclusion or family exclusion orders are also barred from gaming machine rooms.