If You Have A Bad Credit Record, The Government Can Actually Limit Your Casino Visits in S’pore

By the end of 2018, a total of 5,035 people were issued a third-party visit limit to casinos.

This was about 14 times more than the 354 people that were issued the limit when the limit was first implemented in 2013.

Now, of course you’re wondering: what’s a “third party visit limits?”

Given that the IRs are going through a revamp, it’s now apt to know more about this limit.

Third Party Visit Limits

The third-party visit limit is for people who have poor credit records, or who are “financially vulnerable” and do not have the means to gamble at casinos.

A spokesman from National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) said that the current average cap is four visits a month. She also added that casino gambles should not have the mindset that four visits a month is a safe limit, as each gambler has a different circumstance surrounding them.

They consider different factors such as how frequently they visit a casino, their credit history, financial situation and information which is given by their family members.

Not only that, but they are also legally allowed to ask Singaporeans and permanent residents for their bank information and Central Provident Fund statements. Along with other information, they use that to determine their current financial situation.

This scheme is imposed directly by NCPG, and no application is needed.

So they will find you, and they (won’t) kill you. They just want to stop you from gambling your money away.

In other words, it’s to protect you..without having someone else to protect you.

And yes, there’s also a limit whereby someone else “protects” you instead.

Family Visit Limits

If your family member (or you) is addicted to gambling but refuses to acknowledge it and confront their problems, you (or your family member) have the power to stop it. Family members can apply to limit the number of times a gambler can visit casinos.

Spouses, children, parents, siblings can all apply for the limit. Even if they’re adoptive, step or half.

The procedure for this goes as, after an application is made, there the Committee of Assessors will hold a hearing for the applicant and the family member they applied about.

After which, they will determine the harm caused to the family by the gambler, and will determine how many times they can visit a casino in a month.

If they are found to cause severe harm to the family, the family maybe also be advised to withdraw the family visit limit and apply for a family exclusion instead.

So yes, it’s not like anyone can anyhowly decide that you can’t enter a casino. A third party would be there to decide.

Voluntary Visit Limits

Besides the those limits, there are also other limits which individuals or their family members can apply for to impose limits on casino visits.

One such scheme is the voluntary visit limit. The scheme encourages people to gamble less, as problem gambling is an addiction that has serious problems to the gamblers and their families. It can help to control excessive gambling habits.

Individuals are encouraged to apply for this limit as it allows them to take responsibility to resolve their own problems against gambling.

At the end of last year, the number of people who had applied for voluntary visit limit totalled up to 2,289. This, compared to the 221 people in 2013, is a drastic increased.

Good on you, responsible people.

Why This Article Suddenly Matters

The casino levy has increased from $100 to $150 since 4 April 2019 as the government continues efforts to keep problem gambling under control.

It was also announced that Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa will spend $9 billion to build new attractions. They will also be allowed to expand their gambling operations in the casinos.

The most promising upgrades seem to be Minion Park and Super Nintendo world, though. For people who don’t gamble, at least.