As an island country, Singapore has only 710 square kilometres of land mass. Having 2 casinos, it gives the impression that Singaporeans like to gamble a lot. More so when a trip to the nearest casino takes only a short time.
No matter where you are in Singapore, you are less than an hour away.
But, those 2 casinos (i.e., MBS casino and RWS casino) are mainly built not for Singaporeans. It is to further strengthen Singapore’s position as an international tourist hub. Being a small country, tourism is a major source of income for Singapore.
The gambling industry offers a massive chance to boost Singapore’s tourism. Tourists from around the world wouldn’t be visiting the casino alone. They will also use the chance to travel around Singapore too.
Thus, Singapore’s government has tightly regulated the gambling industry. That is to minimize the potential harm of gambling to its people.
In this article “How old you have to be to gamble in Singapore?”, we look at the legality of gambling in Singapore. Besides the legal age to be gambling, we will also discuss about the latest changes in gambling rules.
What Is Considered As Gambling?
Gambling can happen in many different ways and forms. So in Singapore, the act of gambling is defined by law as;
- Buying a lottery to win something of value by chance
- Betting on an outcome with something of value at stake
- Paying to play a game with a chance to win something of value
Anything that falls under those broadly-defined actions, will be considered as gambling.
Social Gambling In Singapore
In March 2022, Singapore’s Parliament passed a new law which legalized social gambling. Well, social gambling isn’t entirely illegal prior to this. But the old rule was vague and law enforcers find it difficult to apply it to modern-day gambling.
Thus, as of 1 August 2022, social gambling will be legal under the following conditions;
- Social gambling can only happen in domestic homes. Not in public places or commercial premises.
- Social gambling cannot benefit or profit a person who’s not playing
- Social gambling can be played among friends or family only. There must be proof that each player knows each other. Or are blood-related to each other.
- Social gambling is strictly confined to offline only. It’s difficult to define social gambling if it occurs on an online platform.
In a nutshell, social gambling can only happen under close supervision. And at home only. So, there is no age restriction being placed on social gambling.
The Least Age To Gamble In Singapore
By law, the legal gambling age is 21 years old. Anyone below 21 years old is not allowed to enter any gambling centres in Singapore. But there is one exception to this rule. Those 18 years old and above are allowed to gamble in Singapore Pools outlets.
Singapore Pool is a state-run company. It offers a legal avenue for sports betting and lottery. This was the government’s attempt to curb illegal gambling syndicates. Those syndicates were plaguing the country back in 1968.
Those who are bankrupt are not allowed to gamble regardless of their age. Same goes for those who are receiving financial aid. This rule is applicable to all the casinos and Singapore Pools outlets.
Clearly, Singapore’s government put a lot of effort to curb problem gambling. Singapore is one of the few countries that impose an entry levy on their casinos. But this levy is only applicable to their citizens and Permanent Residents (PR).
As per the law, Singaporeans and its PRs entering the casino must have a valid entry levy. There are 2 types of entry levies; a day levy and an annual levy.
The day levy would cost S$150 per person. While the annual levy would cost S$3,000 per person. Once purchased, the levies cannot be refunded or transferred no matter what.
The Ban On Proxy Gambling
The government has decided to ban proxy gambling entirely. Proxy gambling is the act of gambling through an agent. The agent acts on behalf of another person who’s not present in the gambling area.
It’s very difficult to regulate proxy gambling. So this ban is very crucial. It prevents gamblers from bypassing the existing laws imposed on gambling.
This move came after the Ministry of Home Affairs seek public’s opinions. They invited people to share their feedback on the proposed amendments to the law. So, this ban will be effective at the same time social gambling is legalized.
The changes to the Gambling Control Act are very crucial. It helps the government to stay ahead of tech and other upcoming trends. Moreover, they can respond better to new gambling products too. Same goes for gambling services.
Online Gambling In Singapore
Due to the tighter rules, many went online to bypass all the laws on gambling imposed by the government. By right, it’s not illegal to gamble online in Singapore. But under one condition. The online casino platform in Singapore has to be licensed by the government.
So far, Singapore Pools is the only licensed entity to offer online gambling services. And as we already mentioned, they only offer sports betting and lottery betting.
Hence, online gambling beyond Singapore Pools’ website is illegal. But this poses another complication which makes the legality of online gambling vague. All the rules are only applicable to gambling platforms in Singapore.
So far, a lot of online casinos that are available to Singaporeans are based outside of Singapore. Hence, it should be totally legal to gamble in a casino outside of the country. Just like how it’s totally legal for Singaporeans to drive all the way to Genting. Or to fly all the way to Las Vegas to gamble.
Related Post: 10 Trusted Online Casino Singapore 2023
Closing Thoughts
Despite having 2 casinos in the country, Singapore’s government is doing as much as it can to safeguard the people from problem gambling. That’s why the age restriction is slightly higher. In many countries, the legal age for gambling is 18 years old only.
The problems that come with gambling can be bad. But thanks to the government’s tight control, the problems are curbed. Plus, Singapore’s tourism has grown by leaps and bounds.
Still, families and schools are encouraged to play an active role in curbing gambling. The government still tries its best to groom its citizen from young.
