Singapore closes in on online gambling ban

The Singapore government has today unveiled a new nationwide gambling bill which will seek to prohibit all forms of online gambling in the Southeast Asian country.

The first reading of the Remote Gambling Bill was presented in Parliament by the Ministry of Home Affairs with the stated aim of regulating remote gambling to “maintain law and order and protect young persons and other vulnerable persons”.

Provisions featured in the bill include introducing website blocking measures, criminalising all remote gambling activities and a complete ban on online gambling advertising and promotions.

The Singapore Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a statement the bill was the result of governmental studies into other gambling jurisdictions such as Hong Kong and follows a six-week-long public consultation.

“Consultations with grassroots, social services, religious and industry groups were conducted, and their views have been considered,” the statement said.

“The objectives for regulating remote gambling are to maintain law and order, and protect young persons and other vulnerable persons from being harmed or exploited by remote gambling,” it added.

However, the bill does make exemptions for Singapore-based not-for-profit operators if certain criteria is met, such as contributing to social or charitable purposes in country.

Singapore-based Pinsent Masons’ gaming lawyer Bryan Tan believes the exemption is aimed current authorised land-based operators, such as lotteries, with the new bill aimed at eradicating unlicensed online activity.

“The effect would be to eradicate all black and grey market gambling products offered in Singapore,” Tan said. “Foreign operators will need to pay attention because the new legislation seems to adopt a long-arm approach,” he added.

Singapore first proposed measures to outlaw online gambling late last year having linked the activity to illegality and syndicated crime.