Hello Law School and Friends,

For the uninitiated, it’s a mere game of luck: push your chips in, roll the dice and then hope for the best. For those who are little more experienced, it gets more complicated: the stake increases, odds are calculated and even your opponent’s slight twitch of an eyebrow matters.

Gambling is the one vice everyone hates to love. It appeals to everybody simply because it allows one to get rich, without trying too hard. For the delusional souls out there, it is a very attractive and addictive idea.
As a result, casinos can be controversial – as was the case in Singapore when the idea of having casinos being built here was first suggested by the government. Despite concerns and protests, the government went ahead with the plans anyway. Who could say no to the immense economic benefits that could be derived from this investment?

The casinos are now open. Laws under the Casino Control Act (CCA) have been used whenever necessary in order to minimize social ills. But really: How effective are these laws? How much rights do casino users really have vis-à-vis the casino operators themselves?

This month, we attempt to answer those doubts in a series of articles exploring the legal issues behind casinos:

Setting the Standards -Priscilla Gan
Bus(Stops) – Dickson Li
When Casinos Don’t Pay Up – Ray Hong
Virtual Vice – Wu Wenyu
Why You Shouldn’t Win – Mubin Shah
Entry Levy: Uniquely Singapore? – Irene Ng

Happy Reading!

Alessa Pang
Deputy Editor, Singapore Law Review
AY 2010/11