Christian Kalb of CK Consulting—one of the most widely tapped gaming consultants worldwide—has advised Singapore officials that the country should allow two or three major online gambling sites and heavily regulate the market, according to published reports.
Singapore is reportedly considering serious online gambling restrictions. Kalb has previously been consulted on gambling matters by 22 European and African governments.
The Straits Times, an English-language paper based in Singapore, reports that Kalb was critical of online gambling at a recent forum in Singapore.
Kalb warned that the anonymity of online gambling makes it difficult to police and that online sites—especially online poker sites—handle large amounts of money that could lead to money laundering.
He also said that online bookmaking could lead to corruption in sports.
“Today, you can bet on everything. At the next World Cup, some operators may offer more than 250 different bets for one single game,” Kalb said.
Kalb suggested that substantial taxes should be placed on online gambling sites—as much as 25 percent of gross revenue—and that the country should aid legal online companies to develop attractive products. Kalb said as much as 80 percent of online gambling is done illegally.
Kalb told the Straits Times that Singapore could in force a “practical” ban of illegal operators rather than a blanket ban.
“You do not need to target a small bookmaker based in Central America,” he said. “You choose the targets, and it is not 1,000 companies.”
He recommended that Singapore restrict licensing to companies physically based in the country and impose strict limits on the type and level of bets to be offered.
