Singapore introduces bill to tighten casino regulations

The Ministry of Home Affairs aims to boost operational effectiveness and protect vulnerable groups from gambling-related harm.

Singapore.- The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has introduced the Casino Control (Amendment) Bill for its first reading in parliament. The bill aims to improve the operational efficiency of Singapore’s casino regulatory framework, tighten regulations and enhance protections for vulnerable groups.

Under the proposed changes, the Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) must approve all casino games, gaming machines, and chips. The bill will give the GRA the power to regulate betting and lotteries in casinos in addition to games of chance and to approve gaming software used on mobile devices. It will also decide what can be used as chips, meaning that new types of wagering instruments, like virtual credits, could be allowed in the future if the GRA thinks they are suitable.

The bill will simplify the process for approving gaming machine manufacturers and suppliers by requiring only manufacturers that control the design and manufacture of gaming machines to seek approval. The bill also introduces new offences and amends the approval process for the main shareholders, substantial shareholders, or controllers of the casino operators (COs).

The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) will gain the ability to immediately substitute exclusion orders with visit limits, and vice versa, to provide more effective protection for individuals. To deter casual and impulse gambling, the bill will regularise the higher casino entry levies implemented in 2019, which were intended to remain in place beyond their initial five-year period.