OPENING OF MORE SINGAPORE POOLS' BETTING OUTLETS (Effect)

Mr Noris Ong Chin Guan asked the Minister for Finance, in the light of the Singapore Pools' intention to open 50 more betting outlets in various parts of Singapore, whether his Ministry has considered that by allowing legalised gambling to be more accessible to the public, it can have a long-term unintended effect of indirectly influencing and promoting undesirable values amongst more Singaporeans.

The Minister for Finance (Dr Richard Hu Tsu Tau): Mr Speaker, Sir, in any society, there will always be people with the propensity to gamble. It is far better for the Government to provide legal channels for gambling; as otherwise, those who wish to gamble would be encouraged to do so through illegal operators. The number of Pools' outlets of 150 has been kept constant for 14 years despite a 12-fold increase in sales. The growth of the lottery market has therefore created the urgency for new outlets. If we do not make it equally convenient for people to bet at legal outlets and offer a reasonable standard of customer service, the long queues could well drive them into the laps of the illegal operators.

Retailers appointed will have to observe strict operational procedures prohibiting service to persons under 18 years of age.

Mr Noris Ong Chin Guan (Nominated Member): Can I ask the Minister if there are any studies to substantiate that opening more legal betting outlets will help to reduce the number of illegal betting outlets? That is the first question.

Second question: May I ask the Minister whether, as a means of counter-balancing any ill social effects of making betting outlets more accessible, there will be a public education campaign, similar to the anti-smoking and anti-drinking campaigns, to remind the public of the ill-effects of gambling or excessive gambling?

Dr Richard Hu Tsu Tau: On the first question, it is impossible to obtain accurate statistics. We would have to ask the public at large: do you patronise illegal outlets? What do you think the answer is going to be? So I think it would be quite difficult to obtain the figures he wants.

On the issue of a public education campaign, I think that is something we can do, although excessive gambling is undesirable. But I do not think the level of gambling in Singapore has reached a stage where we need to mount a major campaign. We are nowhere near the propensity of gambling compared to many other countries.

Mr Chiam See Tong (Potong Pasir): Sir, by opening 50 more outlets, is that not a signal to the people of Singapore that it is all right to gamble or to condone gambling?

Dr Richard Hu Tsu Tau: I do not think so. We have 150 outlets. Another 50 outlets will be provided to make it more convenient. We believe that unless you can say that gambling can be wiped out altogether, which I think it is impossible, then we have to make it reasonably convenient for those who want to have a flutter to be able to do it conveniently, and that is the main purpose. From 150 to 200 outlets over 14 years is not a large number.

Mr Gerard Ee: Could the Minister consider making such premises nondescript and enclosed so that under-aged people are restricted from entering the premises?

Dr Richard Hu Tsu Tau: To do that defeats the purpose. I think he would appreciate that the locations selected are reasonably far away from places where children will gather, schools, places of worship, and so forth. Pools will exercise due care and not to place outlets at places where children might be attracted to, although legally children are not allowed to patronise them anyway.

Mr Chiam See Tong: Sir, on the one hand, the Government tells the people of Singapore that gambling is anti-social, it is bad for the family. On the other hand, it is making it more convenient, opening more outlets for people to gamble. How does the Government reconcile the two?

Dr Richard Hu Tsu Tau: I think it is very difficult to reconcile human nature.