Casino Control (Responsible Gambling) Regulations 2013

No. S 332

Casino Control Act

(CHAPTER 33A)

Casino Control
(Responsible Gambling)
Regulations 2013

In exercise of the powers conferred by sections 170B and 200 of the Casino Control Act, the Casino Regulatory Authority of Singapore, with the approval of the Minister for Home Affairs, hereby makes the following Regulations:

PART I

PRELIMINARY

Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Casino Control (Responsible Gambling) Regulations 2013 and shall come into operation on 31st May 2013.

Definitions

2.  In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires —

“approved responsible gambling programme” means a responsible gambling programme approved by the Authority under regulation 5(4)(a) for a casino, and includes such programme as amended from time to time with the approval of the Authority under regulation 7, 9 or 11;

“approved review report” means a review report approved by the Authority under regulation 8(6)(a);

“problem gambling” means any gambling addiction or pathological gambling behaviour;

“Responsible Gambling Code for Casinos” means the code issued by the Authority under section 200B of the Act which relates to responsible gambling and includes such code as amended by the Authority from time to time in accordance with that section;

“responsible gambling measure” means any practice or activity by the casino operator of a casino during its operation which is designed —

(a) to reduce the severity of harm to patrons, vulnerable persons and society at large caused by gambling; or

(b) to help in the making of informed decisions about gambling;

“responsible gambling programme”, in relation to the casino operator of a casino, means a programme which contains details of the establishment, operation and implementation of responsible gambling measures by the casino operator of that casino during its operation;

“review” means the review referred to in regulation 8(1);

“review report” means the report of the review referred to in regulation 8(3).

PART II

RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING CODE FOR CASINOS AND RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING PROGRAMME

Responsible gambling requirements

3.—(1)  For the purposes of section 170B of the Act, the responsible gambling requirements are all the objectives, standards and requirements which are specified in the Responsible Gambling Code for Casinos.

(2)  Any waiver by the Authority under section 200B(5) of the Act of the application of any provision of the Responsible Gambling Code for Casinos to a casino operator may be subject to such conditions as the Authority may impose.

Approved responsible gambling programme for casino in force until replaced

4.  The approved responsible gambling programme for any casino operator shall remain in force until a responsible gambling programme that is to replace it is approved by the Authority.

Approval of responsible gambling programme

5.—(1)  A casino operator shall submit a responsible gambling programme for its casino to the Authority for approval ––

(a) at the same time as the casino operator submits its application for a renewal of its casino licence or within such period after the application as the Authority may allow in any particular case; or

(b) within any other period before its application for a renewal of its casino licence as the Authority may specify.

(2)  A responsible gambling programme submitted by a casino operator to the Authority for approval in respect of its casino shall comprise a document showing ––

(a) the goals, targets, performance indicators of the responsible gambling programme and timelines to meet all responsible gambling requirements in the Responsible Gambling Code for Casinos;

(b) the person or committee appointed by the casino operator to supervise the establishment, operation and implementation of the responsible gambling programme if approved, and details of the duties and responsibilities of such person or committee;

(c) procedures and guidelines to identify any patron of its casino with any suspected or known problem gambling or gambling-related problem;

(d) procedures and guidelines with respect to the availability of information, treatment, counselling services or intervention services to any patron of its casino regarding problem gambling, responsible gambling behaviour and the financial, social and other problems that may arise in connection with gambling behaviour;

(e) details of the establishment, operation and implementation by the casino operator of a system to enable a patron of its casino to set limits on his gambling expenditure or period of continuous gambling;

(f) details of the establishment, operation and implementation by the casino operator of a system to exclude specific patrons;

(g) details of the establishment, operation and implementation by the casino operator of a system to determine and impose a maximum number of visits which a patron may make to its casino in each month;

(h) details of a training programme for its casino employees in promoting or adopting responsible measures in the conduct of gambling within the casino, including details of the training curricula and plans for periodic refresher training;

(i) procedures and guidelines for the keeping of records related to responsible gambling activities adopted under the responsible gambling programme;

(j) details of the jurisdictions, casinos or responsible gambling bodies chosen by the casino operator for the purpose of comparing and improving the quality and standard of the responsible gambling measures adopted by the casino operator for its casino;

(k) a statement by the person or committee appointed by the casino operator to supervise the responsible gambling programme for its casino, that the responsible gambling programme as and when implemented will satisfy the responsible gambling requirements applicable to the casino operator; and

(l) such other details as the Authority may require to determine whether the responsible gambling programme satisfies the responsible gambling requirements applicable to it.

(3)  The Authority shall not approve any responsible gambling programme submitted by any casino operator under this regulation unless the Authority is of the opinion that the responsible gambling programme satisfies or will satisfy all the responsible gambling requirements applicable to the casino operator.

(4)  The Authority may, by notice in writing served on the casino operator of a casino —

(a) approve a responsible gambling programme for the casino subject to such conditions as the Authority thinks fit; or

(b) reject the responsible gambling programme if any part of it does not satisfy any of the responsible gambling requirements applicable to the casino operator or does not comply with any of the requirements set out in these Regulations.

Implementation of approved responsible gambling programme

6.  A casino operator must complete implementation of the approved responsible gambling programme for its casino within 2 months (or such longer period as the Authority may allow in any particular case) after the casino operator receives a notice in writing under regulation 5(4)(a) from the Authority.

Casino operator’s proposal to amend approved responsible gambling programme

7.—(1)  If an approved responsible gambling programme for a casino is in force, the casino operator of the casino may at any time submit to the Authority, in writing, proposals to amend the approved responsible gambling programme.

(2)  Any proposal to amend an approved responsible gambling programme under paragraph (1) (other than for a change required by the Authority under regulation 11) may relate to the whole of the area which is the subject of the approved responsible gambling programme or any part thereof but must be submitted at least 30 days before the effective date of the proposed amendment, or within such shorter period as the Authority may allow in any particular case.

(3)  Every submission by a casino operator under paragraph (1) shall contain ––

(a) details of the casino operator’s proposed amendment to the approved responsible gambling programme for its casino, the period for which the proposed amendment will take effect and the reasons for the proposed amendment; and

(b) a statement by the person or committee appointed by the casino operator to supervise the approved responsible gambling programme for its casino, that the approved responsible gambling programme if amended as proposed will satisfy the responsible gambling requirements applicable to it.

(4)  In addition, the Authority may, by a notice in writing, require the casino operator to submit, within 30 days after the date of the notice or such longer period as the Authority may allow in any particular case, for the approval of the Authority, a revised responsible gambling programme for its casino, comprising the details referred to in regulation 5(2)(a) to (l) and such other details as the Authority may require to determine whether the revised responsible gambling programme satisfies the responsible gambling requirements applicable to it.

(5)  Any approved responsible gambling programme for a casino shall be amended or revised only to the extent that the submission relating thereto under paragraph (1) or (4) is approved by the Authority.

(6)  A casino operator must complete implementation of the amendments or revisions, as the case may be, to its responsible gambling programme for its casino as approved by the Authority under paragraph (4) within one month after the casino operator receives a notice in writing of that approval from the Authority or such longer period as the Authority may allow in any particular case.

Review of responsible gambling measures

8.—(1)  A casino operator shall conduct in accordance with the responsible gambling requirements an annual review of the responsible gambling measures contained in the approved responsible gambling programme for its casino for the purpose of comparing the quality and standard of those responsible gambling measures.

(2)  A casino operator shall complete each annual review of the responsible gambling measures contained in the approved responsible gambling programme for its casino not later than the anniversary of the date of the Authority’s approval pursuant to regulation 5(4)(a) of the responsible gambling programme (unless extended by the Authority in any particular case) and on every subsequent anniversary of that date.

(3)  A casino operator shall submit a report of the review (referred to in these Regulations as the review report) to the Authority for approval within 3 months after the casino operator completes the review in accordance with paragraph (2) or such longer period as the Authority may allow.

(4)  A review report submitted by a casino operator to the Authority for approval shall comprise a document showing ––

(a) an objective assessment by the casino operator of the quality and standard of the responsible gambling measures adopted for its casino compared against the responsible gambling measures in the jurisdictions, casinos or responsible gambling bodies chosen by the casino operator under regulation 5(2)(j);

(b) a proposal by the casino operator, if any, whether to adopt new responsible gambling measures, revise or maintain the responsible gambling measures adopted for its casino; and

(c) if the casino operator proposes to adopt new responsible gambling measures or to revise the responsible gambling measures adopted for its casino, the proposed date by which the responsible gambling measures so proposed or as revised is to be adopted.

(5)  The Authority shall not approve a review report submitted by a casino operator unless the Authority is of the opinion that the responsible gambling measures being proposed or revised therein for adoption in its casino satisfy or will satisfy all the responsible gambling requirements applicable to the casino.

(6)  The Authority may —

(a) approve a review report relating to a casino subject to such conditions as it may impose; or

(b) reject a review report relating to a casino if any part of it is not an objective assessment or does not satisfy any of the responsible gambling requirements applicable to the casino or does not comply with any of the requirements set out in these Regulations.

(7)  A casino operator shall —

(a) adopt the proposed or revised responsible gambling measures in the approved review report and any conditions imposed thereon by the Authority; and

(b) complete its adoption of the proposed or revised responsible gambling measures by the date referred to in paragraph (4)(c) in the approved review report.

(8)  Where the adoption by a casino operator of any proposed responsible gambling measure in an approved review report it submitted requires an amendment to the approved responsible gambling programme for its casino, the casino operator shall comply with all requirements in regulation 7.

Authority’s amendment to Responsible Gambling Code for Casinos

9.—(1)  Where the Authority amends the Responsible Gambling Code for Casinos, a casino operator shall, within 30 days after the date it is notified of such amendments (or such longer period as the Authority may allow in any particular case), submit to the Authority for approval an application for such proposed modification to the approved responsible gambling programme for its casino as may be necessary to satisfy the amended responsible gambling requirement applicable to it.

(2)  Regulation 7(3), (4) and (5) shall apply to any application under paragraph (1) arising from an amendment of the Responsible Gambling Code for Casinos under paragraph (1) as it does to an application for a modification proposed by a casino operator under that paragraph.

(3)  Notwithstanding paragraph (1), where a casino operator considers that the amendment to the Responsible Gambling Code for Casinos requires no modification to the approved responsible gambling programme for its casino ––

(a) the casino operator may submit a statement by the person or committee appointed by the casino operator to supervise the establishment, operation and implementation of the approved responsible gambling programme for its casino that the approved responsible gambling programme continues to satisfy all responsible gambling requirements applicable to it without any modification; and

(b) the Authority may, on the basis of that statement, allow the casino operator to dispense with the submission of an application under paragraph (1).

PART III

REGULATORY AND ENFORCEMENT POWERS

Authority may request for information

10.—(1)  A casino operator shall, immediately upon request by the Authority ––

(a) provide any information on any aspect of the responsible gambling programme for its casino; and

(b) if required to do so, attend before the Authority and answer such questions or provide such information with respect to the responsible gambling programme for its casino as the Authority may consider necessary.

(2)  The Authority may keep a copy of any information provided to the Authority under paragraph (1).

Power to require change to approved responsible gambling programme

11.—(1)  The Authority may, by a written direction, require a casino operator to change any part of the approved responsible gambling programme it has implemented for its casino.

(2)  The casino operator shall within 14 days after the date the direction under paragraph (1) is given or such longer period as the Authority may allow in any particular case, submit to the Authority a revised responsible gambling programme (comprising the details in regulation 7(3)(a) and (b)) showing the change required to be made.

(3)  An approved responsible gambling programme shall be revised for the specified period to the extent that any revised responsible gambling programme is submitted under paragraph (2).

Power to appoint special auditor to audit on responsible gambling measures

12.—(1)  The Authority may, at any time, appoint a special auditor to undertake an audit of any responsible gambling measures adopted by a casino operator for the purpose of ascertaining whether it is in compliance with the approved responsible gambling programme for its casino.

(2)  The Authority may, instead of appointing a special auditor under paragraph (1), by a notice in writing issued to a casino operator —

(a) require the casino operator to appoint a person approved by the Authority as a special auditor to undertake an audit of the responsible gambling measures adopted by the casino operator for the purpose of ascertaining whether it is in compliance with the approved responsible gambling programme for the casino operator’s casino; and

(b) specify the terms of reference for the audit referred to in sub-paragraph (a) and the time within which it must be completed.

(3)  A casino operator to whom a notice under paragraph (2) is issued shall, at its own expense, engage a person approved by the Authority as a special auditor to conduct the audit in accordance with the terms of reference and within the time specified in the notice.

(4)  Where a casino operator fails to comply with paragraph (3), the Authority may appoint a special auditor to undertake the audit and recover the cost of the audit from the casino operator.

(5)  A casino operator shall provide all reasonable assistance to a special auditor appointed or engaged under paragraph (1), (2) or (4), as the case may be.

(6)  The special auditor who is appointed or engaged to undertake the audit of the responsible gambling measures adopted by a casino operator shall submit his report, all relevant supporting documents and such other information or report as the Authority may specify in relation to the audit, to the Authority not later than 60 days after the conclusion of the audit or within such other period as the Authority may specify in any particular case.

Responsibility of casino operator for person or committee appointed to supervise, operate, establish or implement responsible gambling programme

13.—(1)  A casino operator must ensure that any person or committee which it appoints to supervise, operate, establish or implement the approved responsible gambling programme for its casino ––

(a) does not do, or authorise or permit the doing of anything to cause the approved responsible gambling programme to fail to satisfy any responsible gambling requirements applicable to it; or

(b) does not make, authorise or permit any change to the approved responsible gambling programme unless the approval in writing of the Authority has first been obtained for the change.

(2)  For the purposes of paragraph (1), a person or committee which a casino operator appoints includes a person or committee howsoever appointed, assigned, designated or named by the casino operator to supervise, operate, establish or implement the approved responsible gambling programme for its casino.

Responsible gambling activities records to be maintained

14.—(1)  A casino operator shall keep and maintain records of all responsible gambling activities carried on in its casino in accordance with section 143 of the Act.

(2)  The records referred to in paragraph (1) shall contain such minimum information as is specified in the responsible gambling requirements.

(3)  A casino operator shall submit to the Authority such information as is specified in the responsible gambling requirements within 14 days after the end of every quarter or such longer period as the Authority may allow in any particular case.

Power to give directions and take disciplinary action

15.—(1)  If any casino operator, not acting under a direction referred to in regulation 11, makes any change to the approved responsible gambling programme for its casino without first obtaining the approval of the Authority for the change in accordance with these Regulations, the Authority may without prejudice to initiating disciplinary action under the Act, give the casino operator such written directions concerning the responsible gambling programme as the Authority thinks fit, including ––

(a) in a case where the responsible gambling programme as implemented, nevertheless satisfies the responsible gambling requirements applicable to it, a direction to submit without delay a revised responsible gambling programme for approval or an application for approval of the change, as the case may be; or

(b) in a case where the responsible gambling programme, as implemented fails to satisfy the responsible gambling requirements applicable to it, a direction to reinstate the responsible gambling programme without delay or to take such other action to satisfy the responsible gambling requirements applicable to the casino operator,

and the casino operator shall comply with such written directions.

(2)  Any casino operator which ––

(a) contravenes regulation 5(1), 6, 8(1), (2), (3) or (7), 9(1), 12(3), 13 or 14(1), (2) or (3) (except where the contravention occurs by virtue of the casino operator complying with a direction under regulation 11);

(b) fails to comply with a request of the Authority under regulation 10(1); or

(c) fails to comply with a direction given by the Authority under paragraph (1) or regulation 11(1),

shall be liable to disciplinary action under section 54 of the Act.

Made this 30th day of May 2013.

RICHARD MAGNUS

Chairman,
Casino Regulatory Authority of Singapore.

[CRA 206.02.00041; AG/LLRD/SL/33A/2010/20 Vol. 2]