Is Online Poker Illegal In Singapore?
In recent years, online poker has become a major form of entertainment for many people around the world. As more and more people are playing online poker, they may be wondering if it is legal to play poker online.
So, is online poker illegal in Singapore?
In this post, we explain whether online poker is legal or not in Singapore. We will also share how you can play poker games online safely. And most importantly, some tips to be a pro poker player.
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Is Online Gambling Legal In Singapore?
It’s a big question that has been hotly debated for many years already. But it is still a matter of contention for many people today. In some countries, online gambling is completely legal. In others, it is illegal.
In Singapore, however, it is neither.
That is a relief to many players because the law is rather vague. The country’s laws don’t specifically ban online gambling. Rather, it’s mentioned that it’s only legal to play on licensed operators in Singapore.
But here’s the tricky matter – there’s only one company licensed to offer online gambling. And that is Singapore Pools.About Singapore Pools
For those who are wondering, Singapore Pools is a state-run company. Singapore Pools was established in 1968 as a legal lottery and sports betting platform.
Back then, illegal bookies were very rampant. Many bettors have lost their money to those bookies. Thus, the government decided to introduce a safe and secure avenue for gamblers.
So, what all this means is that it’s only legal to play on Singapore Pools website.
Related Post: Where can I play poker in Singapore?
How To Legally Play In An Online Casino?
Since it’s only legal to gamble online via Singapore Pools, does that means gambling on any other website is illegal?
Again it’s a yes and no answer.
It’s illegal to play in an unlicensed online casino in Singapore. But it’s totally legal to play in a casino outside of Singapore. For instance, it’s legal to drive all the way up to Genting to play. It’s also legal to fly all the way to Las Vegas to play.What's the difference?
Very simple. None of those casinos is operating from or in Singapore. Hence, none of them needs to be licensed by the Singapore government.
So, it’s legal as long as you are playing in a casino that’s not based or operating in Singapore. The key is to look for international online casinos that are based outside of Singapore.
Why Online Casino Is Better?
There are 2 world-class casinos in Singapore. Both Marina Bay Sands and Resort World Sentosa is a massive attraction to tourists worldwide.
But sadly, Singaporeans wishing to enter those casinos have to pay an entry levy. A day levy will cost S$150 per person. While an annual levy will cost S$3000 per person. Those levies are not transferrable and not refundable too.
If you’re caught entering the casino without the levy, you can be fined up to S$1000.
On the other hand, you can get paid for playing in an online casino Singapore. What a stark difference from playing online! With such an irresistible deal, it’s no wonder many people are swarming online instead.
But many are doubtful as well. And to be fair, that irresistible deal has caveats attached to it. So, here we’ll guide you on how to choose a trustworthy website to play in.Related Post:
How To Choose A Trustworthy Online Casino In Singapore?
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Secured website
Like any other website, you’d want to look at how much they’ve invested to secure their website. So, the first thing to look out for is the padlock symbol on the browser. It’s usually located beside the URL bar.
That’s an indication of Secure Socket Layer (SSL) or Transport Layer Security (TLS). What that actually means is any data transferring between you and the online casino is encrypted. So, even if the data is hijacked by hackers, they can’t make any sense of it.
Encrypted data looks just like a bunch of codes.
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Good customer support
This is fairly simple and straightforward. Fraudsters and scammers wouldn’t be bothered investing much into good customer support.
Hence, always get in touch with the customer support and test them out. Ask them to explain about your favourite games and if there are any special rules in that casino. Judge from their answers.
A genuine casino knows that customer trust is the key to success. That’s why their customer supports are well trained in various aspect of the casino.
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Generous bonuses
As we mentioned earlier, good online casinos pay you to play. And we’re not lying. It comes in the form of casino bonuses. Every successful online casino has generous bonuses. Because it’s much cheaper to operate an online casino. Thus, the management passes down the cost saving to the customers.
The most prominent bonus is the welcome bonus. You’re being offered a lucrative amount of money to start playing once you’ve signed up. Practically being paid to start playing.
The other lucrative bonus that should not be missed is the deposit bonus. This is a reward when you deposit money in to play. The more you deposit, the more you’ll get.
We also mentioned about caveats earlier. That comes in the form of wagering requirements. What it means is simple. In order to cash out the money you’ve earned from those bonuses, you need to bet a certain amount first.
That’s merely to prevent abusers from taking advantage of such lucrative casino bonuses. A serious player would be able to meet the wagering requirements by playing.
Conclusion
In conclusion, if you are wondering whether online poker is legal or not in Singapore, then you should know that it is not illegal to play poker games online.
However, if you want to play poker games online safely, then you should be aware that there are some risks involved. Therefore, you should be careful when playing poker games online. As long as you follow our guide above, you’ll be fine.
