Singapore
SINGAPORE — The Government is proposing changes to the law to achieve better oversight of gambling, as online gambling grows in popularity while continuing to minimise the social harm caused by the activity.
SINGAPORE — The Government is proposing changes to the law to achieve better oversight of gambling, as online gambling grows in popularity while continuing to minimise the social harm caused by the activity.
As part of the revamp of gambling laws, it aims to set up a new regulatory body, the Gambling Regulatory Authority, to manage all forms of gambling.
Currently, the Casino Regulatory Authority regulates casinos, a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) unit regulates online gambling and fruit machines, and the Singapore Totalisator Board governs physical gambling services run by lottery operator Singapore Pools.
Two draft laws — the Gambling Control Bill and the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Singapore Bill — introduced in Parliament on Monday (Feb 14) aim to address the increased accessibility of gambling products and the blurred line between gambling and gaming, MHA said.
In a media release, MHA noted that technology has changed the way people gamble and business models have adapted to changing consumer preferences for games with gambling elements.
This includes video games involving virtual prizes and the emergence of marketplaces for virtual items that facilitate real-world payouts, MHA added.
Demand for sports betting through online channels for Singapore Pools has also grown – it received about 60 per cent of its revenues from online channels in the financial year 2020, up from about 30 per cent three years earlier.
Though gambling-related crimes have remained low, and the number of people arrested for illegal gambling activities was stable from 2011 to 2020, MHA said that laws and regulations must address the emerging trends in the gambling landscape.
KEY CHANGES
To ensure gambling laws remain effective, MHA proposes several changes:
MHA said that physical social gambling among family and friends, a commonplace activity among many people here, is exempted from the proposed laws.
However, those engaging in such gambling must meet these conditions:
The ministry stressed that online social gambling will not be exempted because it would be difficult to establish if individuals are “sufficiently and meaningfully” acquainted with each other to qualify as social gambling.
SAFEGUARDS REMAIN IN PLACE
To protect vulnerable individuals against gambling, MHA said that the current minimum age for gambling will remain at 21 years old, except for gambling at Singapore Pools’ physical outlets, which will stay at 18 years old.
Under the proposed laws, it will be a criminal offence for underaged individuals to gamble and enter gambling areas, except where entry checks are not required, such as Singapore Pools’ physical outlets.
“These outlets are open areas with easy access, and underaged individuals may enter unknowingly with no intention to gamble,” MHA said.
In a separate media release, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) said that in tandem with the introduction of the Bills in Parliament, its exclusion system will be extended to more financially vulnerable individuals from June 1.
Under this system, these individuals are now prohibited from entering casinos, fruit machine rooms in private clubs or opening a Singapore Pools online gambling account:
MSF said that the system will be extended to all tenants and occupiers on the public rental scheme, which provides subsidised public rental housing. This is an “upstream” approach to prevent problem gambling among households with financial needs, it added.
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