Industry experts at the third Asian Casino and Gaming Congress suggested limits on the amount of cash ATMs in casinos can dispense, and having gamblers declare how much they are willing to lose before they hit the tables. -- PHOTO: AFP
ON THE first day of a three-day conference on gaming, the talk was not just about attracting people to casinos, but about ways to prevent people from losing more than they can afford.
Industry experts at the third Asian Casino and Gaming Congress suggested limits on the amount of cash ATMs in casinos can dispense, and having gamblers declare how much they are willing to lose before they hit the tables.
The conference, held at Marina Bay Sands, is organised by Hong Kong-based events organiser Beacon Events. It attracted more than 100 delegates from countries such as the United States, Macau and Australia. Over the three days, they will discuss both the business and social aspects of gaming, such as how to maintain a sustainable business while managing problem gambling.
Dr Derek da Cunha, an academic who wrote Singapore Places Its Bets, a book about the opening of the two integrated resorts (IRs) here and their social impact, suggested using a biometric identification system.
This could make use of Singapore's existing identification card database to verify, by using thumbprints, whether a person is allowed in the casinos or not. Since the two IRs in Singapore opened, at least eight people have been charged for trying to enter the gaming areas using another person's identity.
Macau-based gaming consultant David Green, who has advised Macau and Singapore on casino regulations, suggested that the biometric identification system can also be used to limit how much a gambler can lose. He said: 'In Australia, they are talking about using a mandatory pre-commitment, where a gambler can set his loss limit through the use of a card. So if he has lost the amount he has set, he won't be able to play anymore.'
