SOUTH EAST ASIA 14
SINGAPORE
Singapore to update gambling oversight Singapore has announced a major overhaul of its highly respected regulatory regime to make sure it keeps abreast of new product developments and technologies.
T
he central plank of the overhaul will be the expansion of the powers of the casino regulator, the Casino Control Commission, into a new umbrella body that will encompass all forms of gambling in the city state. The new body is intended to be up and running by 2021 and will be known as the Gambling Regulatory Authority, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said. At present, the Casino Control Commission regulates Singapore’s two integrated resorts, while a gambling unit within the MHA
Asia Gaming Briefings | May 2020
regulates fruit machines and remote services. Racing and wagering activities carried out by Singapore Pools come under the Singapore Totalisator Board. Online gaming, outside of activities carried out by Singapore Pools, is strictly prohibited. The government said that regulators in Singapore have done a good job of protecting the public, however there are emerging trends that can have a significant impact on the gambling landscape. For example, technology has changed the way people
gamble and made it more accessible. While business models have evolved to suit changing customer preferences by introducing gambling elements in products that are traditionally not seen as gambling. The GRA will consolidate and optimise gambling regulatory resources within a single agency. “This will allow GRA to stay even more effectively abreast of technological and global trends, respond faster to emerging products in particular those that cut across different
