Singapore collects us$ 73 million in first-half casino entry levies

The entrance fee of us$ 78.6 a day or us$ 1,572 annually from citizens and permanent residents amounted to us$ 153.3 million in 2011, Teo said in Parliament.

The government also collected more from the two casino-resort operators, Las Vegas Sands and Genting Singapore, with the net gain in tax revenue amounting us$ 707.6 million in fiscal 2010 and us$ 864.9 million the following year, she said. “The casino operators have made more money, but at the same time it contributed to our tax revenues,” Teo said.

“Through these tax revenues, the government is able to provide support to Singaporeans in many areas and expand our resources.”

Teo’s comments, in response to a query from a lawmaker, comes as the government is seeking public feedback to strengthen its Casino Control Act to further control criminal activities, improve social safeguards and tax administration.

The proposed changes include limiting visits by “local, financially vulnerable patrons who visit the casinos frequently” and raising the maximum penalty imposed on casinos that flout the law to 10 percent of gaming revenue from the existing limit of us$ 786,324, according to a document posted on the government’s public consultation website.

The government has more than doubled its spending in the past two years to contain problem gambling, Teo said. The levies aren’t directly “ring-fenced” to finance such programs, she said.