Singapore to set casino entry levies at $150 daily and $3,000 annually
The bill also seeks to simplify regulations for casino contracts.
Singapore has proposed a bill that will regularise the casino entry levies to $150 daily and $3,000 annually for citizens and permanent residents.
The higher entry levies aim to deter casual and impulse gambling.
In 2019, the government increased the casino entry levies to $150 for the daily levy and $3,000 for the annual levy.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), however, overlooked the expiry of the 2019 order, resulting in entry levies automatically reverted to the lower rates on 4 April.
In response, the MHA introduced the Casino Control (Variation of Entry Levies) Order 2024 on 8 May 2024 to prospectively restore the daily levy to $150 and the annual levy to $3,000. From 4 April to 7 May 2024, the government collected about $4.4m from the legislated entry levy rates.
Apart from the regularisation of casino and levy rates, the Casino Control (Amendment) Bill also aims to streamline the regulatory process for contracts signed by casino operations and align penalties of existing offences with similar offences in other laws.