SINGAPORE: A day after Marina Bay Sands (MBS) reported its strongest quarterly performance since its opening last year, Senior Minister of State (Information, Communications and the Arts and Environment and Water Resources) Grace Fu voiced her concern.
Writing on her Facebook page on Thursday, Ms Fu said: "While I acknowledge the contribution of IRs to our economy, I am concern(ed) about the social effects."
Ms Fu also expressed
her concern over the rising number of advertisements by moneylenders
offering "quick loan/fast cash", in Chinese dailies Shin Min and Wanbao
as well as The New Paper.
On Wednesday, Mr Sheldon Adelson,
chief executive of Las Vegas Sands - MBS' parent company - also declared
that MBS is "on its way to becoming the most profitable casino-resort
ever".
He had added: "Nobody can convince me that we've even
touched the area of saturation of the market. I think Singapore's going
to continue to grow and grow and grow."
On Mr Adelson's comments,
Joo Chiat MP Charles Chong noted: "If MBS is planning to expand its
non-gambling facilities, that is fine. But if it is looking to enlarge
its casinos, that will be a little bit of a concern."
On Tuesday,
the Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) expressed worries over the spike in
calls it has received about loan sharks and gambling problems.
Ang
Mo Kio GRC MP Ang Hin Kee noted that casinos have created benefits such
as jobs and economic growth but he reiterated that management of the
social ills should not just be "outsourced" to agencies.
"The operator and economic agencies also need to be part of the equation," he said.
Mr
Chong added that if statistics show more Singaporeans entering the
casinos, the authorities could consider raising the S$100 entry levy.
-- TODAY