Tackling illegal gambling websites a game of cat and mouse, but new S'pore regulator more empowered

Mr Ian Lee, GRA senior assistant director (Policy and Planning), said it will be challenging to take down such websites. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY

SINGAPORE - Online gambling, which is evolving very quickly due to rapid technological developments, is one area of the gambling landscape to which the newly inaugurated Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) will be paying attention.

The authority will be further empowered under the Gambling Control Act, which took effect this month, to regulate online gambling platforms and take action against advertisements promoting illegal services.

Speaking to reporters at the inauguration event at Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre on Tuesday (Aug 16), Mr Ian Lee, GRA senior assistant director (Policy and Planning), said the authority will be able to take further action against those who advertise unlawful gambling if they do not comply with an order to remove it.

Under the Gambling Control Act, a person who is found guilty of advertising unlawful gambling can be fined up to $20,000.

But if they do not comply with an order to remove the advertisement, they can be fined up to $50,000, jailed for up to two years, or both.

Even so, it will be challenging to take down such websites, said Mr Lee.

"Operators who are based overseas can still easily offer their products to Singapore... We recognise it is not possible to enforce legislation when they are based overseas, but we can still (take action) through the blocking channel."

The GRA also has the power to block access to online remote gambling services by directing the Infocomm Media Development Authority to issue such an order to Internet service providers.

"Even if we take down one website, they can easily use another domain. It's a cat-and-mouse issue. But we continue to focus on removing websites which cause the most harm to users in Singapore," said Mr Lee.

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