LOL, this gaudy S'pore casino association website named key stakeholder by govt body

Much turquoise. Very authority. So credibility.

Belmont Lay| February 03, 10:25 AM

A dodgy-looking website, which calls itself the Singapore Casino Association (SCA), was actually named by the Workforce Development Agency (WDA) as an example of a "key stakeholder" in the gambling industry.

How a government body such as the WDA even got hoodwinked, well, nobody knows.

But details have emerged. During last month's official review on how casino staff are to be trained, WDA had apparently referred to the SCA as one of the "key stakeholders" that were to be consulted to draw up a new training model.

To their credit, WDA has since backtracked and distanced itself from the SCA after they discovered the site looks suspect.

Neither is the Casino Regulatory Authority wanting anything to do with the SCA.

Here's why SCA is dodgy-looking

Viewed on Feb. 3, 2014, the website claims it is "Announcing the Formation of Singapore Casino Association in Dec 2014".

But back in 2010, it was already "Announcing the Formation of Singapore Casino Association in January 2011":

SCA-2011

Therefore, it has been in perpetual Announcing-the-Formation-of-Singapore-Casino-Association mode for quite a while, apparently.

Website founder and objectives shady

Outing this website as a shell operating from a fourth-floor Bukit Batok Street 21 HDB flat with zero casino operators as members, The Straits Times today also reported that the founder does not want to be identified and the number of members it has is "classified".

Moreover, the website background is in GeoCities blue, which means it is very turquoise, very 90s and a clear red flag. The bad grammar and stock images that peppers the site will give you cancer.

Nonetheless, the asking price for SCA membership fees range from $300 for casino patrons to $150,000 for casino operators.

SCA's website states that its objectives are to "regulate direct or indirect casino industries partners and members activities" and "to neutralise pressure group or any anti-casino group in Singapore".

However, it is flouting rules as a society as it is not registered, which in Singapore, is considered unlawful.

And how would the SCA achieve its objectives? The founder reportedly said that there are plans to hold a beauty pageant and conferences, help families affected by gambling and raise funds.

He did not say if he was going to solve global warming and ensure world peace though.

SCA has since been traced to a local company called Roman MBT Integration, a firm with a $3 paid-up capital and its registered address is a HDB flat.

Its domain name is linked to an overseas firm which helps website owners conceal their identities.

The firm's sole owner is revealed to be Chew Chee Hong, a Singaporean in his forties.

Roman MBT Integration has at least one other unregistered body set up: Singapore Arowana Association.