$1m fund for education and prevention against gambling
problems
By Wong Siew Ying, Channel NewAsia
SINGAPORE: The government is putting $1 million into public
education programmes that will target specific vulnerable groups
like the young and the elderly.
This is among the safeguards put in place in anticipation of the
problems that may arise from the having casinos at the 2 planned
integrated resorts.
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, the Minister for Community Development,
Youth and Sports, assured the house that the best possible
framework to combat problem gambling was being set up.
The National Council on Gambling will be up by August, and the
Ministry will also conduct more research on the topic, but
responsibility lies with the families, because they will be hardest
hit when a member falls into the gambling trap.
The government expects to spend $40 million every year to tackle
the gambling problem.
As for the plan to have an "exclusion system" to bar people from
entering, the Ministry is studying a South Australian tribunal
which considers applications to exclude family members.
"They have a simple process where a complainant lodges an
application to an independent gambling authority, a minimum of 2
members of the authority will interview the complainant, the
respondent and other relevant parties, this authority is bound by
evidence and will make a decision, this has work well for them so
far," said Dr Balakrishnan.
"We are thinking of a similar interview process, in which we will
have a panel that is appointed by the national council of gambling
that will listen to the complaints and make a decision, if there's
an appeal, that appeal will go to the fully national council of
gambling and its decision will be final, politicans and MPs will
not be involved in this process.
"We want our system to be simple, efficient and a low cost one so
that it will work," he added.
Dr Balakrishnan added that he is deeply heartened that all MPs -
both opposition and PAP, have agreed to work together to tackle the
threats of problem gambling.
He assured the House that everyone who needs help, can and will get
help, but he warned against over regulation which could undermine
the viability of the integrated resorts. - CNA /dt
$1 million to tackle gambling-related problems. Is that
enough?
