l page a14 resorts world fined $530,000 · resorts world sentosa (rws) has been slapped with...

BY NG KAI LING

RESORTS World Sentosa (RWS) has been slappedwith $530,000 in penalties for paying the casinoentry levies for media representatives and not main-taining its surveillance system and processes to thestandards required.

In a statement yesterday, the Casino RegulatoryAuthority (CRA) said there were four breaches ofthe Casino Control Act which drew fines of$30,000 to $200,000.

The largest penalty was for an incident in July

last year when a senior management staff memberof the integrated resort coughed up more than$1,000 to pay the $100 entry levy for more than 10reporters and photographers covering the launch ofthe casino’s Ladies Club.

Under the Act, casino operators are not allowedto reimburse the entry levy payable by Singapore-ans and permanent residents.

CRA chief executive T. Raja Kumar said: “Thedisciplinary action taken serves to remind casinooperators to act responsibly to uphold the integrityof social safeguards put in place by the authorities.”

The other three breaches also took place lastyear.

The first was for not keeping surveillance foot-age from March 29 to April 2 last year, from 22 ofthe casino’s cameras. RWS was fined $150,000.

The second was a similar breach where videostaken from March 29 to 30 by 18 cameras were notretained. RWS was fined $30,000 because it had re-ported the incident to CRA.

Casinos are required to keep their video footagefor a stipulated period as it is critical to regulatoryand law enforcement. CRA would not say how longthat period is.

Finally, another $150,000 penalty was imposedfor not having a surveillance system that wouldnotify its users, in the form of audio and visualalerts, of failures in any of its functions.

This has been rectified by RWS.An RWS spokesman said it had cooperated with

CRA on the investigations and taken steps to pre-vent any recurrence.

“As a responsible gaming operator, RWSrespects and seeks to comply fully with Singapore’sgaming laws and regulations,” he added.

This is the second time that RWS, owned byMalaysian company Genting, has been taken to taskby the authority.

On Dec 31 last year, it was censured by CRA formaking unauthorised changes to its surveillance sys-tem.

CRA said then that RWS had implemented chang-es to its surveillance system between March 29 andApril 29 last year – a month after the casino opened– without obtaining the authority’s approval.

Separately, CRA is also looking into allegationsof illegal junket activities at the two casinos.

It announced this last month after Las VegasSands chief executive Sheldon Adelson revealedthat he had discovered a suspicious $5 millionmoney transfer between Macau and Singapore viaMarina Bay Sands.

kailing@sph.com.sg

Foreign patrons queuing to enter Resorts World Sentosa recently. Foreigners can enter the casinos here without charge whileSingaporeans and permanent residents have to pay a $100 entry levy. THE NEW PAPER FILE PHOTO

It had paid entry levies formedia reps, flouted rulesregarding surveillance system

Resorts World fined

$530,000for Casino Act breaches

primeLnews

THE STRAITS TIMES THURSDAY, MAY 19 2011 PAGE A14