Singapore Passes Remote Gambling Bill

Poker has been facing the brunt of moral policing not just in India, but also around the globe, the past many months.

In an article on Sept 13, we had mentioned the myopic view of several “modern” governments towards the game and their insistence in banning online interactions. As mentioned, Singapore was one of those, where the government had tabled a bill on Sept 8, to squash the remote gambling industry. The Remote Gambling Bill included all gambling activities that fell under the purview of mobiles, internet or any such forms of communication and would provide the authorities to clamp down on them.

Exactly after a month that the bill was tabled, on Oct 8 the Remote Gambling Bill was finally passed, but not before a 3-hour long debate, involving 10 MPs, who were uneasy with the “exemptions” allowed in the bill.

Png Eng Huat, Pritam Singh and Non-Constituency MP Yee Jenn Jong, 3 MPs of the Workers’ Party suggested that a Select Committee, “to convince Singaporeans why it is necessary to tighten legislation for strong safeguards”, should scrutinize the bill.

Denise Phua, PAP MP spoke out against exemptions, insisting that these were not in keeping with the spirit of the bill, as it was “legitimizing the act of gambling and breeding its acceptance by legally providing for exempt licensed operators“.

S Iswaran, Second Minister for Home Affairs, who was spearheading the campaign for passing the bill, countered these arguments, stating that the bill had already gone through public consultations and did not warrant a Select Committee.

He also added that the bill was consistent with the current governance attitude of prohibition in unregulated gambling activities.

Talking about the exemptions, Iswaran said that, “When you look at our experience in terrestrial gambling environment we seek to maintain law and order, criminalize range of activities and allowed for tight controls not because we wish to promote it or condone it.”

Clarifying that the law ensured enforcement agencies the power to deal with social problems, he continued, saying, “It is part of an ecosystem that minimizes the law and order concerns and social consequences concerned about.”

Iswaran insisted that this new bill will treat the online gambling industry, the same as physical gambling in Singapore and said, “We prohibit gambling, unless it is specifically allowed for by way of a stringently regulated exemption or license. We will adopt a similar approach to remote gambling.”

Pointing towards the huge financial implications of the online gambling industry, Iswaran gave the example of the recently concluded raids held by the Interpol during the FIFA World Cup. The 1,000 raids, conducted by law enforcement agencies from 6 countries, including Singapore had made 1400 arrests and uncovered bets amounting to almost US$2.2 billion (S$2.81 billion) through illegal websites.

Pacifying social and video game players, Iswaran insisted that the bill would not affect them, as long as they did not “convert in-game credits or tokens for money or real merchandise outside the game”.

Referring to the fluid and ambiguous nature of online activities, he added, “What may be benign today may appear more sinister tomorrow.”

Chan Chun Sing, Minister for Social and Family Development spoke out in agreement with Iswaran and promised that his ministry would do its bit, by stepping up awareness and public education.

Chan reiterated, “We have to stay alert to the challenges that emerge every day and to stay abreast of the technological changes and to stay abreast of the evolving challenges.”

Experts have always insisted that bans and prohibitions never succeed in deterring determined players, who always find a way to play. A fact that has been witnessed in many countries, which have sought such restrictions.

How will Singapore fare, is an answer that will play out only with the passage of time, but it looks like a tough road ahead for professional online poker players in the country.