Genting Spore: Excerpts from The New Paper - Slap a $100 daily levy or an annual one at $2,000, & locals will be turned off the idea of visiting the two casinos. That was the aim when the govt introduced the levies to reduce the social impact of the casinos on Sporeans & PRs. But betw Apr & Nov last year, more than $130m in levies were collected. Maybe the levies aren't having the desired effect, some MPs & industry watchers told TNP.
One option would be to make it more expensive for locals to visit the casinos. 4 out of 7 MPs said there should be a review of the current entry levies, given the latest numbers. Denise Phua, MP for Jln Besar thinks it may be a good idea to increase the daily levy to deter gamblers. Halimah Yacob, MP for Jurong sees a need to review it or think of other deterrents. Liang Eng Hwa, MP for Holland-Bukit Timah said the levy amount should not be cast in stone.
When contacted, the Ministry of Community Devt, Youth & Sports declined to comment. Sr Minister of State for MTI S Iswaran said last Dec that it was still too early to gauge the social impact of the casinos but the govt is monitoring the situation closely & will take additional measures if necessary. So is this a precursor for casino levy fees to be increased?
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