RWS Casino - Pap humiliate Singaporeans

By Jamie Yeo - Treat_paying_citizens_better_at_casino
Jamie Yeo shares about her recent trip to the Sentosa IR casino and tells us why entry rules should be different for locals.

I visited the Resorts World Casino for the first time on Friday night and I don't think I'll be going back there anytime soon.

Don't get me wrong, I'll be checking out the rest of the restaurants there in the near future (I highly recommend Palio, the Tuscan restaurant at Hotel Michael.

I am not going back there because I think it's ludicrous that an entertaining affair like visiting a casino can become cumbersome and segregating.

I and many other Singaporeans were made to feel like animals, being herded and checked like 2nd rate citizens.

As if it's not bad enough that we're charged an exorbitant levy of $100 just to enter the premises, we have to endure a long and slow-moving queue at the entrance because our ICs have to be scanned by very slow machines that break down under the load, and get this, we Singaporeans have to endure a similar extremely long and slow-moving queue to leave the casino because yes, our ICs have to be scanned by very slow machines that break down under the load! I was appalled.

Look, I'm not complaining about the levy of $100. I'm sure the government thought this through and understands the bigger picture far better than I do.

But I do think scanning our ICs on the way in and out is a bit far out and almost hilarious. It really makes us a laughing stock among foreigners, especially in this day and age.

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a patriot. I would defend our country, its values, and political ways till I go red in the face.

But I have to admit I'm finding it very difficult to come up with logical reasons to the stringent casino entry rules. Like I said, making me pay money...that's fine by me.

Just don't treat us badly by making the process tedious, embarrassing and inconvenient. I mean, we Singaporeans should be treated like VIPs having paid all that money just to enter the casino!

And the above is my most recent experience with gambling.

I don't gamble a lot to have accumulated that many experiences. I've been to casinos in Australia, Vegas, Macau and on cruise ships and I've only ever had fun! I set my loss limit to about $300 and I always stick to it. To me, it's all just for the entertainment of it all.

Poker games with friends are the best. Bets are kept small and the big winner of the night buys everyone supper.

I've never won a huge amount from gambling.In fact I did play that 10 million dollar toto, but think I won the smallest prize, what's the amount you get when you've got 3 numbers and the additional number? I have no idea. Haven't yet gone to claim my prize money. I just remember the amount being very insignificant.

Life itself is a gamble enough. I don't really need to get involved in serious gambling.

Anyway, I'm too much of a realist. However, if 50 bucks buys me some extra thrill while I'm watching a football match, then why not?

The writer is a Star Blogger with Stomp, The Straits Times’ social-networking and citizen- media website.