Singapore set to ban sports betting via overseas websites
PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 09 September, 2014, 10:57pm
UPDATED : Wednesday, 10 September, 2014, 4:54am
Agence France-Presse
Singapore set to ban sports betting via overseas websites
Singapore plans to impose a sweeping ban on sports betting via overseas websites, but experts said that virtual private networks would erode the effectiveness of the move.
A "remote gambling" bill filed in parliament on Monday will give the government broad powers to block access to the websites as well as blocking electronic payments to their operators.
"The objectives for regulating remote gambling are to maintain law and order and protect young persons and other vulnerable persons from being harmed or exploited by remote gambling," the home affairs ministry said.
Singapore currently bans access to about 100 websites, mostly featuring pornographic, extremist and hateful content. Access to extramarital dating site Ashley Madison is also banned in the state, which is well-known for its strict social controls.
The new law will make it an offence, punishable by jail terms and fines, for Singaporeans to gamble on overseas websites, while advertisements for them on online and offline platforms will also be outlawed.
Exemptions will be granted for locally-based online gambling operators which follow strict rules and operate on a non-profit basis.
Government-linked betting firms involved in sports betting and horse racing channel proceeds to charities and social causes.
Media and technology experts say blocking overseas websites will have limited effectiveness.
"Whether it is pornography or any other kind of objectionable content, if the person is hardcore enough, he will find a way to access it," said Alfred Siew, editor of local technology website Techgoondu.
Sports betting, especially on top European soccer matches, is deeply entrenched in Singapore. Its online gambling market was estimated to be worth US$416 million, with 95 per cent of revenue headed towards overseas websites, Singapore's Straits Times said yesterday.
