Why you need to be debt-free when applying jobs in casinos

Better watch out as Credit Bureau Singapore devices more efficient means for employment check.

Since May last year, short-listed applicants to Singapore’s two casino operators have submitted more than 600 personal credit reports to the Casino.

Regulatory Authority (CRA) via an online service to enable "special employees" of Singapore’s two casino operators to submit their credit reports directly to the CRA.

CRA requires persons who are performing duties related to casino gaming to obtain a special employee licence (SEL). Examples of such jobs include dealers, cashiers and even the senior management of the casinos. CRA would conduct an assessment of a SEL applicant's suitability to be licensed against the suitability criteria prescribed in the Casino Control Act. One of the suitability criteria prescribed in the CCA is the financial stability of the applicant.

In this regard, the online service by Credit Bureau (Singapore) (CBS) allows SEL applicants to log on to the CBS website to request, pay for, immediately view and then submit their personal credit records and payment histories to the CRA, through the use of their SingPass to authenticate their identification.

Prior to the launch of the service, these special category job applicants had to obtain their credit reports either online or via the CBS office / SingPost, and then mail or personally deliver the reports to the CRA. The online service enhances these employers’ ease and security of assessing the credit-worthiness of their employees for the purpose of employment checks.

Prior to the engagement with CBS, CRA had to verify that individual credit reports were not amended or tampered with. The partnership with CBS has streamlined this aspect of the SEL application process, and also enhanced the security of the applicants’ personal data.

Credit reports have not only become mandatory as part of the job application package in the gaming sector. In the financial sector, banks and insurers also require applicants who seek jobs as financial advisory representatives to submit their credit reports, under a framework introduced by the Monetary Authority of Singapore that prescribe that all financial institutions have to ensure that their representatives are “fit and proper”. As a result, many banks and finance companies have also signed up for CBS’ online service.

"We are pleased to be able to assist CRA for collaborating with CBS to ensure greater ease of transmission and flow of personal credit histories. This is one area which CBS, which has the largest and most comprehensive credit performance data in Singapore, can help organisations and companies in their human resource management. As the individual applicant himself elects to send his report to the prospective employer or approving authority, the confidentiality and security of personal credit data is maintained," explained Mr William Lim, Executive Director, CBS.

In 2006, CBS launched an online service that made it almost effortless for consumers to get a copy of their credit reports so that they can check and monitor their own files and histories. These online schemes are part of CBS’ drive to educate consumers by making their credit information more accessible to them and letting them monitor their credit files. With the latest service, consumers can also easily send the credit reports to their employers.

With these online services, more consumers are accessing their credit reports to assess their creditworthiness and for the purpose of employment checks. At present, as many as 10,000 people ask for a copy of their credit report from CBS every month. Credit reports viewed online will be charged at the current price of $5 each.