Singapore plans to leverage new technologies in the fight against problem gambling. On August 29, speaking at the Fifth Singapore Symposium on Gambling Regulation and Crime, Manpower Minister and Second Minister for Home Affairs Josephine Teo said the Casino Regulatory Authority (CRA) is working with the market’s two casinos, Resorts World Sentosa and Marina Bay Sands, to implement the measures.
“We are working closely with the casinos in Singapore to implement measures to help patrons make informed decisions about gambling,” she said. “Some measures being studied include providing patrons with notifications on amount and time spent in the casinos, and encouraging patrons to voluntarily set caps on expenditure and duration of play.”
In April, Singapore raised its casino entry fees after the government announced a $9 billion expansion plan for the two integrated resorts; those investments extended the duopoly enjoyed by Genting and the Las Vegas Sands Corp. to the end of 2030.
According to a report in the Straits Times, Teo stressed the need for gambling regulators to continue learning from one another. “Regulators and law enforcement agencies need to keep up to date with these developments and make sure our policies and rules remain effective,” she said, adding that one model the jurisdiction looked at was Massachusetts, where Wynn’s Encore Boston Harbor recently opened.
She also expressed concerns that problem gambling could be exacerbated by a rise in online gaming platforms. “From their smartphones, punters can access gambling products anywhere, anytime. Across the world, online gambling has been on the rise,” Teo said. She pointed out that 60 percent of Singapore Pool’s sports betting turnover is now done through remote channels, a double the number recorded in 2016.
“We expect this trend to continue,” Teo said. “Such new products across various modes of gambling or gaming will require us to put on our thinking caps and take a look at new laws to regulate.”
According to Asia Gaming Brief, Singapore has “one of the most draconian bans on online gambling and has imposed stiff jail sentences and criminal penalties for infractions.”
Teo also cited the French Online Gaming Regulatory Authority, which uses data analytics to detect money laundering and match-fixing and to study the behavior of players.
“CRA is also exploring how data analytics can be used to gain insights on the risk profiles of patrons and identify characteristics of patrons who pose regulatory risks,” said Teo. “Such insights can be used to support policy development and enhance CRA’s risk management.”
