Singapore's Gambling Control Act 2022 was first published in the Government Gazette, Electronic Edition, on 4 April 2022 at 5 pm1. The Act, numbered 15 of 2022, was passed by Parliament on 11 March 2022 and assented to by President Halimah Yacob on 25 March 20221.
The Act is described in its long title as "An Act to consolidate the law on the suppression of various forms of unlawful gambling and the regulation of authorized gambling services outside of casinos, to repeal the Betting Act 1960, the Common Gaming Houses Act 1961, the Private Lotteries Act 2011 and the Remote Gambling Act 2014, and to make related and consequential amendments to the Casino Control Act 2006 and certain other Acts"1. It sets out five purposes1:
"to authorize some gambling and prohibit the rest as unlawful gambling;"
"to minimize social harm associated with gambling, including problem gambling;"
"to limit opportunities for crime or dishonesty associated with gambling and the conduct of gambling."
The Act defines "gambling" as betting, engaging in gaming activity, or participating in a lottery1. "Betting" covers making or accepting a bet on the outcome of a race, competition, sporting event or other event or process taking place in Singapore or elsewhere, on the likelihood of anything occurring or not occurring, or on whether anything is or is not true1. The Act also defines "social gambling", "remote gambling", "underaged individual" and "excluded person"2. Under the Act, "Authority" means the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Singapore, which is the Casino Regulatory Authority of Singapore continued and renamed under section 3 of the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Singapore Act 20221.
The Act is organized into 13 Parts and 140 sections, covering offenses, licensing, gambling venue and game approvals, harm minimization and integrity protection measures, regulatory sanctions, appeals, enforcement and administration1. Part 2 creates offenses including unlawful conduct of betting operations, gaming or lotteries, gambling with an unlicensed gambling service provider or at an unlawful gambling place, and gambling with underaged individuals1. Part 4 provides for licenses and class licenses for lower-risk gambling services1. Part 9 Division 4 contains special provisions for remote gambling, including blocking of access to online remote gambling services and blocking of payment transactions2.
The Act states that it "comes into operation on a date that the Minister appoints by notification in the Gazette"1. Singapore Statutes Online lists two commencement dates: sections 137(1) and (2) on 1 June 2022, and Parts 1 to 12, sections 136, 137(3), 138, 139, 140, and the First and Second Schedules on 1 August 20222.
What it means for players
The Act replaces the Betting Act 1960, the Common Gaming Houses Act 1961, the Private Lotteries Act 2011 and the Remote Gambling Act 20141. It authorizes some gambling and prohibits the rest as unlawful gambling1. Gambling with an unlicensed gambling service provider or at an unlawful gambling place is an offense under the Act1. The Act also bars licensees from allowing excluded persons to gamble and allows them to refuse to pay winnings to an underaged individual or excluded person2. Advertising of unlawful gambling is prohibited1. For the wider regional picture, see Gambling Laws in Asia: What Is Legal in 12 Jurisdictions and Recent and Pending Gambling Law Changes in Asia; for Singapore specifically, see Can I Gamble in Singapore?.
What happens next
Singapore Statutes Online records that sections 137(1) and (2) came into operation on 1 June 2022, and that Parts 1 to 12, sections 136, 137(3), 138, 139, 140, and the First and Second Schedules came into operation on 1 August 20222. No further commencement dates are listed in the sources.
Sources3 sources
- 40d5db3f-c50f-456c-a764-76c7e07173ff 1..225, sso.agc.gov.sg
- Gambling Control Act 2022 - Singapore Statutes Online, sso.agc.gov.sg
- Gambling Control Act 2022 - Singapore Statutes Online, sso.agc.gov.sg
