The Ministry of Home affairs has announced that the police will serve some 3,500 Exclusion Orders that will prohibit access to the new casinos to anyone with a serious criminal background. The exclusion list will include loan sharks syndicate members, secret society members, money launderers, pimps and drug traffickers.
The period of exclusion depends on how serious the crimes are, and those who wish to appeal against the order may do so by writing to the Minister of Home Affairs. The list of excluded persons will be periodically reviewed and updated. The police said similar exclusion mechanisms are also used in other foreign jurisdictions.
The orders aim to keep the gaming environment free from syndicated crime and vice activities, and go in line with preventive measures such as security checks, swift enforcement, investigation and prosecution of offenders. The Ministry added that the basis for an Exclusion Order issued by the police is
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separate from Exclusion Orders which may be issued by other agencies, such as the National Council on Problem Gambling.
With precise wording, the Exclusion Order says that an excluded person shall not enter or remain, or take part in any gaming, on any casino premises, and that whoever violates the order will face a fine of up to S$10,000 (US$7,000, or imprisonment for up to a year, or both. Additionally, any casino winnings paid or payable to the offender shall also be forfeited. (E-02.05.10)
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