Singapore: 21 arrested for illegal gambling
Police have arrested 21 people for illegal gambling.
Singapore.- Police in Singapore have arrested 21 people due to alleged gambling activities. A raid was carried out on a commercial unit in Bukit Batok Crescent, where 11 women and 10 men were said to be gambling.
Officers said those arrested included a couple who were using the unit as an illegal gambling venue. The other people were arrested for gambling.
During the raid, police seized equipment. Those arrested are also accused of breaching Covid-19 measures ordered by the government. They could be fined up to $10,000 or sentenced to up to six months in prison.
According to the Common Gaming Company Act, those who use a public place for gambling face a fine of up to $50,000 and up to three years in prison.
According to The Straits Time, police said: “The public is advised not to participate in any form of illegal gambling and to observe the current safety distance measures.”
In the first week of August, Lim Beng Tiong was sentenced to five years and five months in prison for leading an illegal lottery-betting outfit.
Beng Tiong was originally arrested in a raid in 2016 with 48 others. Officers found that Lim Beng Tiong’s syndicate controlled online gambling sites that offered options for betting on lotteries.
The syndicate collected up to SGD4.32m in illegal bets between January 2013 and November 2016. In the last month of operations, before the arrests, it recorded SGD2m (US$1.49m) in bets.
Casinos allowed to resume standing bets at table games
The government of Singapore has allowed casinos to resume taking standing bets at table games. Resorts World Sentosa and Marina Bay Sands have also been allowed to increase guest capacity from 25 per cent to 50 per cent of pre-pandemic levels at non-gaming attractions.
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said standing bets remain subject to safe management measures such as a 1-metre safe distance between individuals and a maximum of five people including seated and standing players, and the dealer.
Casino operators will have to follow “SG Clean” requirements for good personal and environmental hygiene habits.
Marina Bay Sands recently detected new Covid-19 cases associated with a cluster of infections at the casino venue. However, it reopened its doors after a two-week closure.
The casino operator said it had adhered to the highest safety, hygiene, and testing standards, often going beyond regulatory guidelines.
