Singapore’s 5th Symposium on Gambling Regulation and Crime went down on Thursday, August 29 and it saw the announcement of a number of new initiatives that are meant to help reduce the issue of problem gambling and promote responsible gambling. Manpower Minister and Second Minister for Home Affairs Josephine Teo delivered most of the gambling-related announcements.
Patrons to Receive Personalized Alerts
In a bid to help promote responsible gambling through self-regulation, casino patrons in Singapore may soon receive personalized alerts on the amount of time and the money that they have spent at casinos in the country. According to the minister, the country’s Casino Regulatory Authority (CRA) has been working with the casino operators on measures that will include giving the gamblers the option to voluntarily regulate their gambling activities by setting caps on their expenditure and times at gaming venues.
Singapore will be borrowing a lot from responsible gambling measures that have been implemented in other jurisdictions. Some of the most notable aspects that Singapore hopes to implement include encouraging the adoption of healthy gaming habits, setting spending limits as well as helping patrons to fully understand the odds of the games that they are playing.
“In Singapore, there are also several efforts on responsible gambling. For example, the Responsible Gambling Forum, which comprises industry and community leaders, organizes events such as the annual Responsible Gambling Awareness Week to raise awareness,” said Mrs. Teo.
She also noted that it is very important for gambling regulators from all over the world to continue learning from one another.
More Focus on “Novel” Gambling Products
The gambling landscape has been changing and one of the challenges that gambling regulators from all over the world have been facing is the development of new gaming products that are primarily meant to appeal to younger audiences. These so-called novel gaming products include loot boxes which have caused quite a lot of debate and concerns in many places around the globe.
“Such new products across various modes of gambling or gaming will certainly require us to put on our thinking hats, and probably take a look at the new laws we need to put in place to regulate,” said the minister.
She asked the gambling regulators and law enforcement agencies to keep up to date with the development and try to ensure there are effective measures to regulate them. It is now even more important due to the rapid rise in the ease of access to online gambling services.
