The Singapore government is to introduce stricter rules about the availability and use of slot machines in the city-state’s social clubs. Any clubs that do not meet a new test regarding the scope of their non-gaming amenities will be required to cease slot machine operations by April 30, 2018, said the Ministry of Home Affairs in a statement.
The aim is to ensure that slot machine areas are only part of club social activities, Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam said at a Thursday briefing,
“Our sense is that some clubs, sort of pay lip service to the need to provide other services and focus on the jackpot machines as their primary objective. That, we cannot allow,”
There are now approximately 82 “jackpot venues” and almost 1,900 “jackpot machines” in Singapore, understood to be a reference to slot club facilities. The number of machines could drop by around a third with the new rules, indicated the ministry. (READ HERE: ASIAN GAMBLERS: THINK-TANK STARTS TO IMPLEMENT CONTROLS)
The ministry said in its press release it would additionally implement “responsible gambling measures”, including barring installation in slot machine areas of automated teller machines (ATMs), Electronic Funds Transfer at Point of Sale (EFTPOS) systems and credit card facilities. (READ SO: ASIAN THINK-TANK WILL BOOST THE GAMBLING INDUSTRY BY AN ECONOMIC INTEGRATION)
“We will further prohibit advertising and promotion of fruit machines within the clubhouse and on the Internet and other media platforms,” stated the ministry.
From November 2017, entry to slot machine areas at clubs will be restricted to individuals who “hold membership terms of at least one year”, and are 21 years old or above. Currently those aged 18 years and above are allowed to use them.
Additionally, club members will not be allowed to bring guests into slot machine areas; and the operating hours of those zones will be limited to between 10am and 11pm.
