Singapore moves to ban offshore gambling

Singapore government officials are examining the introduction of a state Bill to target unregulated remote gambling operators. The Remote Gambling Bill tabled this Monday, introduces governmental/legal definitions on what constitutes remote gambling targeting Singaporean citizens.

The Remote Gambling Bill which was composed by several Singaporean government and business ministries aims to shed insight into policing measures and punishing illegal gambling in Singapore.

The Bill will not only target offshore operators, but has introduced measures aimed at curving betting agents working on behalf unregulated bookmakers and sports betting syndicates.

There will, however, be exemptions to the Bill that was described as a “tightly controlled regime”. Gambling operators can apply to be exempted if it meets the criteria below:

• the entity should be based in Singapore
• the entity should be not-for-profit
• the entity should contribute to public, social or charitable purposes in Singapore
• the entity should have a good track record of compliance with Singapore’s legal and regulatory requirements

The ministry studied the laws and practices of other jurisdictions, such as Hong Kong, Norway and France. A six-week public consultation was conducted, while consultations with grassroots, social services, religious and industry groups were also held and their views were considered, it stated