This was published 14 years ago
Man jailed after losing all his money at Singapore's new casino
An Indonesian man who turned to crime after losing all his money at Singapore's first casino has been jailed for four weeks, just days after the gaming resort opened, court officials said yesterday.
Singapore, famous for its hardline stance on crime, has vowed to be vigilant against offences often linked to the gaming industry in Asia.
The 49-year-old Indonesian was jailed on Wednesday, a day after he was caught stealing a mobile phone from a woman at Singapore's Changi Airport.
The court heard that Paulus Djohar, who came to Singapore as a tourist, had turned to theft after losing all his money at the casino.
Among the other people to fall foul of the city's tough regulations was a Mongolian teenager who was arrested on Monday for using another person's passport to get into the Resorts World Sentosa casino resort, police said.
The minimum age for casino players is 21 years.
The 18-year-old could face up to up to five years in prison as well as a fine if convicted of "cheating by impersonation".
Five other people were caught trying to enter the casino without paying the $S100 ($A79) levy imposed on Singaporean citizens and permanent residents to discourage lower-income people from gambling.
They face a fine of up to $S1,000.
The casino, owned by Malaysian gaming giant Genting, opened on Sunday in time for the start of the lunar new year, a major Asian holiday.
More than 60,000 people visited the casino in the first three days of its operations, Resorts World Sentosa spokesman Robin Goh said.
A second casino resort owned by US-based Las Vegas Sands is scheduled to open in April. Singapore says its decision to lift a ban on casinos in 2005 was aimed at boosting tourism.
AFP
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