Forbes – Macau’s metamorphosis from gamblers’ guide footnote into the global gaming capital booking seven times the casino revenue of Las Vegas has inspired countries across Asia to try their own luck. From South Korea to Sri Lanka, there are gaming venues and big plans for more. While every government wants to duplicate the dollar figures of Macau, the model most follow is made in Singapore. Singapore awarded two casino licenses in 2006, following an unusually contentious pubic debate, with the goals of boosting visitor arrivals and adding what Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong called the “X factor” found in…

South China Morning Post – Singapore announced steep increases in alcohol, gambling and tobacco taxes as it pledged billions of dollars in health care subsidies for its growing ranks of elderly citizens. Alcohol taxes will rise 25 per cent, while duties on tobacco will jump 10 per cent. Betting duties from the state-linked betting firm Singapore Pools will rise to 30 per cent from 25 per cent of gross bets from July. In his budget speech on Friday, Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam also unveiled a S$9 billion (HK$55 billion) package to provide life-long health care for the elderly. Under the…

From Bloomberg – Singapore is planning to tighten rules for public servants visiting the city’s two casinos after a handful of corruption charges against government officials in the past year. Civil servants who go to the gaming halls “frequently” or those who buy annual passes will be required to declare such visits, Teo Chee Hean, Singapore’s deputy prime minister, said in Parliament yesterday. The city has a S$100 ($79) daily levy or S$2,000 annual tax for citizens and permanent residents entering the casinos. Plans for the casino rules come after a number of corruption charges against senior government officials in…