The Remote Gambling Bill procedure, that was a subject to various discussions and arguments, has finally reached a new stage in the legalization process. The newly implemented laws, intended to control the gambling activities via smartphones and computers, will, most probably, become official at the beginning of the next year. That was announced by the authorities of the Singaporean Ministry of Home Affairs as the Remote Gambling Bill passed yesterday.
The discussions didn’t go smooth though. The actualization of the gambling laws was disapproved by several Members of Parliament whose main bother was the services of the exempt operators. They encouraged the complete embargo on the remote gaming activities in Singapore.
According to the authorities who disagreed with the gambling legalization, players who take advantage of online gambling services must be fined and the online gambling operators that provide their services within the country must face tough penalties as well. As far as the bank operations, payments towards gambling websites and the advertising of any sort of gambling products and services are concerned, those should be prohibited too.
The Government authorities have settled down around the idea of keeping a close eye on the activities of every gambling provider that is allowed to sell gaming products in Singapore. However, the exempt operators will be prohibited from offering poker services and games that resemble those in a real casino.
Nevertheless, some of the Parliament members expressed their concerns about the exempt operators and their services in particular. The authorities are convinced that the presence of the products they offer will have a negative impact on the public attitudes.
Denise Phua, one of the members who support the idea of banning the remote gambling, said that since the negative influence of the online gambling activities is a well known fact, then, enabling the exempt operators to provide this kind of services and even establishing a law with the aim of making them legal is a huge mistake that will cost a lot.
In response, Mr Iswaran said that the complete banning of the remote gambling activities will, by all means, lead to an increased crime rate.
Meanwhile, it became clear that the exempt operators will be responsible for following strict rules such as monitoring if underaged citizens make attempts for taking part in gambling activities. They should let only preregistered customers to use the services.
For the time being, the available betting operators make a moderate turnover from providing mobile gambling services. However, once the new regulations become valid, they will be required to stop delivering their services or apply for becoming an exempt operator.
Mr Iswaran hurried up to ensure the public that the Remote Gambling Bill will not affect the social games at all because the players can not exchange their earnings for real money. Yet, the social games and the gambling activities are getting more and more similar, which must be taken into consideration and therefore the new laws must be compatible with the fast changing markets.
