A new centralized self-exclusion system has been instituted in Singapore that allows residents to voluntarily bar themselves from selected non-casino gambling venues.
Currently, self-exclusion only applies to Singapore’s two casinos—Resorts World Sentosa and Marina Bay Sands—and to date more than 150,000 such orders have been issued. In all, 200,500 exclusion orders have been issued for the casinos.
Machine gaming venues and sports betting clubs process their own exclusions, but the centralized system will make it more accessible and convenient for individuals to bar themselves from multiple venues at the same time.
Twenty-one of these 73 operators will participate in the new system initially, and more will come on board by the end of the year.
To complement the program Resorts World Sentosa has volunteered to develop and run a customized responsible gaming training curriculum for staff of private clubs.
“Most do not have formalized training so that’s where we come in, so we have a more consistent approach in terms of delivery, in terms of course content,” said Seah-Khoo Ee Boon, the casino’s senior vice president of compliance.
Resorts World expects to roll out the training for some 10 operators in June.
In the meantime, two of the largest operators—Singapore Pools and Singapore Turf Club—will only allow account bettors to self-exclude.
“Self-exclusion cannot cover everything,” said Tan Soo Nan, chief executive of Singapore Pools. “For those who walk into the shop it is difficult to put this into operation.”
