Anyone who either takes part in gambling with an underage person, or gambles with another person on behalf of an underage individual, will face up to six years in prison, or a fine of up to SGD300,000 (US$223,000), or both, says Singapore’s new Gambling Control Bill.
There will be a defence of having reasonable grounds to believe the person was of legal age, or having received from the minor “evidence purporting to show” they were of legal age.
Any minors found to be involved will have a lower penalty: a fine of up to SGD1,500.
Under the new bill – which had its first reading in the country’s parliament on Monday – the legal age for gambling in Singapore will stay at 21 years old, except for gambling at Singapore Pools’ physical outlets, where the minimum age will stay at 18.
Other provisions in the new legislation include criminalising gambling pursued by any person officially excluded from such betting. They would either face up to a year in jail, or a fine of up to SGD10,000, or both.
A planned new criminal offence of proxy gambling or of facilitating proxy gambling relating to casino-based games, will carry a penalty of up to one year in prison, or a fine of up to SGD10,000, or both.
The latter provision in the Gambling Control Bill is described as an amendment to the city-state’s Casino Control Act 2006, the law established to oversee Singapore’s casino duopoly. The market became operational in 2010.
Casino proxy gambling involves a ‘proxy’ or other nominated person, making bets at a bricks and mortar casino, while taking instructions from a player not physically present at the venue.
