The Singapore parliament has passed a Bill to legalise social gambling as well as criminalise underage and proxy gambling, while prohibiting more vulnerable people from gambling as part of tighter safeguards.
The Gambling Control Bill will increase penalties for unlawful gambling both physically and online and impose stiffer penalties for repeat offenders who facilitate or operate unlawful gambling services. It also introduces licensing for key gambling products as well as class licensing regimes for lower-risk gambling products such as online games with gambling elements.
And in a separate move, a new Gambling Regulatory Authority of Singapore Bill will establish a new Gambling Regulatory Authority later this year, forming a single regulator the entire gambling landscape in Singapore.
The Gambling Control Bill will specifically provide an exemption regime for physical social gambling among family and friends in homes, something which is not prohibited under current law. The Bill will also explicitly make it illegal for people under 21 to gamble, and it will also be an offence for those under 18 years old to gamble at Singapore Pools’ physical outlets.
