Casino Control Act 2006

Casino Control Act 2006 2020 REVISED EDITION This revised edition incorporates all amendments up to and including 1 December 2021 and comes into operation on 31 December 2021 An Act to make provision for the operation and regulation of casinos and gambling in casinos and the regulation of persons connected therewith; to provide for the functions of the National Council on Problem Gambling and measures against problem gambling and for matters connected therewith. [Act 29 of 2024 wef 30/10/2024] [1 June 2006: Section 2 ; 2 April 2008: Sections 3 and 4, 5 to 33 and 37 (in relation to any property, assets, interests, rights, privileges, liabilities or obligations transferred to the Authority under section 33), Parts III to XIII and the Schedule ; 1 July 2008: Sections 34, 35, 36, 37 (in relation to any employee transferred to the service of the Authority under section 34), 38 and 39 ] PART 1 PRELIMINARY Short title 1. This Act is the Casino Control Act 2006. Interpretation 2.—(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires — “authorised bank” means any bank authorised by the Authority for the purposes of this Act; “authorised person”, for any provision of this Act, means an officer or employee of the Authority or other individual who is appointed as an authorised person under section 6 for the purposes of that provision; [Act 14 of 2022 wef 01/08/2022] “Authority” means the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Singapore, which is the Casino Regulatory Authority of Singapore continued and renamed as the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Singapore under section 3 of the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Singapore Act 2022; [Act 14 of 2022 wef 01/08/2022] “casino” means any premises, or part of premises, within a designated site where persons may participate in one or more games approved by the Authority under section 100; “casino employee” means an employee having functions in or in relation to a casino; “casino licence” means a casino licence granted under section 49 that is in force; “casino marketing arrangement” means an arrangement whereby a person organises, promotes or facilitates the playing of any game in a casino by one or more patrons, for which the first-mentioned person receives from the casino operator or from the person for the time being in charge of the casino — (a) a commission based on the turnover of play in the casino attributable to the patron or patrons or otherwise derived from the play of the patron or patrons; (b) a share of the casino operator’s gross gaming revenue from the patron or patrons; or (c) such other form of payment or rebate, monetary or otherwise, as may be prescribed; “casino operator” means a person who is the holder of a casino licence; “casino premises” means the casino premises referred to in section 51; [Deleted by Act 14 of 2022 wef 01/08/2022] “Chief Executive” means the Chief Executive of the Authority, and includes any individual acting in that capacity; “chip purchase voucher” means a voucher issued by a casino operator to a patron named in the voucher entitling the patron to be issued with chips of an equivalent value to that specified in the voucher; “chips” means any tokens used instead of money for the purpose of gaming and includes any voucher or other instrument that has a fixed dollar wagering value; “Comptroller” means the Comptroller of Income Tax appointed under section 3(1) of the Income Tax Act 1947 and includes, for all purposes of this Act except the exercise of the powers conferred on the Comptroller by sections 146A(2) and 152, a Deputy Comptroller or an Assistant Comptroller appointed under section 3(1) of the Income Tax Act 1947; “corporation” has the meaning given by section 4(1) of the Companies Act 1967; “Council” means the National Council on Problem Gambling established under section 154; “deposit account” means an account established under section 108(2); “designated site” means any parcel or parcels of land designated by the Minister under subsection (2) as a site on which a casino may be located; “Development Agreement” means an agreement in writing by a statutory body to lease a designated site to a person (referred to hereinafter as the lessee) for the development of an integrated resort thereon by the lessee on the terms and conditions stated in the agreement, and includes any supplemental agreement or other document amplifying or modifying those terms and conditions; “electronic monitoring system” means any electronic or computer or communications system or device that is so designed that it may be used, or adapted, to send or receive data from gaming equipment in relation to the security, accounting or operation of gaming equipment; “electronic table game” means a gaming machine used for the purpose of playing a game traditionally played at tables, and includes any electronic device through which bets may be placed on a game played at a table; “employ” includes engage under a contract for services; “excluded person” means a person subject to — (a) an exclusion order under section 121 or 122; [Act 15 of 2022 wef 01/08/2022] (b) a family exclusion order, provisional family exclusion order or exclusion order under Part 10; (c) section 165A; or (d) section 165D for the remainder of any month by reason of the person having made the maximum number of visits to any casino for the month as specified by a visit limit imposed on him or her; [Act 15 of 2022 wef 01/08/2022] “game” means a game of chance or a game that is partly a game of chance and partly a game requiring skill; “gaming equipment” means any device or thing (including chips) used, or capable of being used, for or in connection with gaming and includes — (a) a gaming machine; (b) linked jackpot equipment; (c) an electronic monitoring system; and (d) a part of, or a replacement part for, any such machine, equipment or system; “gaming machine” means any device, whether wholly or partly mechanically or electronically operated, that is so designed that — (a) it may be used for the purpose of playing a game of chance or a game of mixed chance and skill; and (b) as a result of making a bet on the device, winnings may become payable, and includes any machine declared by the Authority to be a gaming machine; “Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore” means the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore established under section 3 of the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore Act 1992; “inspector” means an inspector appointed under section 7; [Act 14 of 2022 wef 01/08/2022] “integrated resort” means a development comprising hotel, retail, dining, entertainment, recreation and other facilities, and of which a casino may be a part; “international market agent” means a person, other than an employee of a casino operator, who performs any of the functions specified in section 110A(2) in relation to one or more casino marketing arrangements; “international market agent licence” means a licence issued by the Authority to an international market agent under section 110B; “international market agent representative” means an individual who is employed by an international market agent to organise, promote or conduct a casino marketing arrangement on behalf of the international market agent; “international market agent representative licence” means a licence issued by the Authority to an international market agent representative under section 110B; “jackpot” means the combination of letters, numbers, symbols or representations required to be displayed on the reels or video screen of a gaming machine so that the winnings in accordance with the prize payout scale displayed on the machine are payable from money which accumulates as contributions are made to a special prize pool; “linked jackpot arrangement” means an arrangement whereby 2 or more gaming machines are linked to a device that — (a) records, from time to time, an amount which, in the event of a jackpot or other result being obtained on one of those machines, may be payable, or part of which may be payable, as winnings; (b) for the purpose of recording the amount referred to in paragraph (a), receives data from each gaming machine to which the device is linked; and (c) is not capable of affecting the outcome of a game on a gaming machine to which the device is linked; “linked jackpot equipment” means any jackpot meter, payout display, linking equipment, computer equipment, programming or other device (other than a gaming machine) forming, or capable of forming, part of a linked jackpot arrangement; “match play coupon” means a coupon issued by a casino operator to a patron which, when presented by the patron together with chips in any wager, augments the patron’s wager according to a ratio, percentage or value specified in the coupon; [Deleted by Act 14 of 2022 wef 01/08/2022] “Minister”, except in section 45A and Parts 9 and 10, means the Minister charged with the responsibility for gambling suppression; [Act 14 of 2022 wef 01/08/2022] “operations”, in relation to a casino, means — (a) the conduct of gaming in the casino; (b) the management and supervision of the conduct of gaming in the casino; (c) money counting in, and in relation to, the casino; (d) accounting procedures in, and in relation to, the casino; (e) the use of storage areas within the casino premises; and (f) other matters affecting or arising out of activities in the casino; “owner”, in relation to a designated site, means the person who is registered in the land‑register under the Land Titles Act 1993 as the purchaser of a leasehold interest in the designated site or, if no one has been registered in the land‑register, the person who has entered into a Development Agreement to lease the designated site; “permanent resident of Singapore” has the meaning given by section 2 of the Immigration Act 1959; [Act 31 of 2023 wef 01/12/2025] “premium player” means a patron of a casino who opens a deposit account with the casino operator with a credit balance of not less than $100,000, where — (a) the deposit is in such form as may be prescribed; (b) the period during which the credit balance in the deposit account is below $100,000 does not exceed such period as may be prescribed; and (c) the deposit account fulfils such other conditions as may be prescribed; “record” includes any book, account, document, paper or other source of information compiled, recorded or stored in written form, or on microfilm, or by electronic process, or in any other matter or by any other means; “share” includes stock except where a distinction between stock and shares is express or implied; “special employee” means a person, whether or not an employee of a casino operator, who — (a) is employed or working in a casino in a managerial capacity or who is authorised to make decisions, involving the exercise of his or her discretion, that regulate the operations of a casino; or (b) is employed or working in a casino in any capacity relating to any of the following activities: (i) the conduct of gaming; (ii) the movement of money or chips about the casino premises; (iii) the exchange of money or chips to patrons of the casino; (iv) the counting of money or chips on the casino premises; (v) the security and surveillance of the casino; (vi) the operation, maintenance, construction or repair of gaming equipment; (vii) the supervision of any of the above activities; (viii) any other activity relating to the operations of the casino that is specified by the Authority for the purposes of this definition by written notice given to the casino operator; “special employee licence” means a special employee licence issued by the Authority under Part 5; “voting share” has the meaning given by section 4(1) of the Companies Act 1967. [22/2009; 4/2010; 36/2012; 5/2018] (2) For the purposes of this Act, the Minister may, by order in the Gazette — (a) designate any parcel or parcels of land as a site on which a casino may be located for such period as may be specified in the order; and (b) extend any period under paragraph (a) for such further period as may be specified in the order. (3) In this Act — (a) a reference to a function includes a reference to a power, authority or duty; and (b) a reference to the exercise of a function includes, in relation to a duty, a reference to the performance of the duty. (4) A reference in this Act to an individual performing duties in the Authority is a reference to — (a) an employee of the Authority; or (b) a public officer performing duties in the Authority under a secondment arrangement making available temporarily to the Authority the services of public officers. [Act 14 of 2022 wef 01/08/2022] Meaning of “associate” 3.—(1) For the purposes of this Act (other than Division 2 of Part 4), a person is an “associate” of a casino operator or an applicant for a casino licence if the person, in the opinion of the Authority, is able or will be able to exercise a significant influence over or with respect to the management or operation of the casino business of the casino operator or applicant. [36/2012] (2) In determining whether a person is able or will be able to exercise the significant influence referred to in subsection (1), the Authority may consider all or any of the following: (a) whether the person holds or will hold any relevant financial interest in the casino business of the casino operator or applicant; (b) whether the person is or will be entitled to exercise any relevant power (whether in right of the person or on behalf of any other person) in the casino business of the casino operator or applicant; (c) whether the person holds or will hold any relevant position (whether in right of the person or on behalf of any other person) in the casino business of the casino operator or applicant; (d) the degree of direct or indirect influence that the person has in the management or operation of the casino business of the casino operator or applicant; (e) any other matter that the Authority considers relevant. [36/2012] (3) In this section — “relevant financial interest”, in relation to a business, means — (a) any share in the capital of the business; (b) any entitlement to receive any income derived from the business; or (c) any contribution to the capital of the business, whether by a loan or otherwise; “relevant position”, in relation to a business, means the position of director or manager, or other executive position, however that position is designated; “relevant power” means any power, whether exercisable by voting or otherwise and whether exercisable alone or in association with others — (a) to participate in any directorial, managerial or executive decision; or (b) to elect or appoint any person to any relevant position. [36/2012] Minister may revoke order for designated site or cancel casino licence in public interest 4.—(1) Despite any other provision of this Act, if it appears to the Minister to be necessary in the public interest to do so, the Minister may, after consulting the Authority — (a) revoke any order made under section 2(2); or (b) cancel any casino licence, and give such directions to the Authority or the casino operator concerned as are necessary to give effect to the revocation of the order or the cancellation of the casino licence, as the case may be. (2) The Authority or casino operator (as the case may be) must give effect to any direction given by the Minister under subsection (1). (3) Where the Minister has revoked an order under subsection (1)(a), any casino licence granted for a casino on the site to which that order relates is deemed to be cancelled. (4) The Minister must pay such fair compensation as the Minister may determine for any damage caused to the casino operator concerned by reason of the revocation of the order or cancellation of the casino licence by the Minister under subsection (1). (5) If the amount of compensation to be paid under subsection (4) is disputed by the casino operator, the dispute is to be referred to arbitration, and parties are deemed as having submitted the dispute to arbitration under the Arbitration Act 2001 to be decided in accordance with Singapore law. (6) Any sum required by the Minister for paying compensation under subsection (4) is to be paid out of the Consolidated Fund. (7) If any doubt arises as to whether any act done under this section was in the public interest, a certificate signed by the Minister is conclusive evidence of the matters stated therein. (8) Any decision of the Minister under subsection (1) is final.