Fifty-six percent of adults in Singapore are opposed to legalizing online gambling, says a new study conducted by U.K. research firm YouGov.
The study, titled “Global Gambling 2022: The Consumer View in the Gambling Debate,” found that almost six out of 10 Singaporeans think online gambling should not be permitted.
The data also found that older people are more opposed to the activity, including 68 percent of Baby Boomers, as compared to 62 percent of Gen Xers, 44 percent of millennials and 45 percent of those in Gen Z. One-fourth of respondents said current restrictions on online gambling are too strict, according to Inside Asian Gaming.
At the same time, a YouGov poll showed that 42 percent of self-described gamblers in Hong Kong are concerned about visiting land-based casinos in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. And in Singapore, home of Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa, 54 percent of gamblers said they would have major concerns about visiting a casino now.
In the U.S. and other jurisdictions, iGaming took a great leap forward during the pandemic as a safe and practical alternative to in-person casino gambling.
Chinese citizens are barred from gambling online, and Beijing has cracked down on cross-border gambling by its citizens. Singapore’s new Gambling Control Act, which took effect in August, has increased penalties for unlawful gambling, either in person or online, and imposed stiffer penalties for repeat offenders who facilitate or operate unlawful gambling services.
YouGov’s polling in Singapore found that 56 percent of respondents thought “online gambling should not be allowed,” compared to a global average of 46 percent of respondents thinking that way.
“This makes the republic the fourth most-opposed to online gambling globally, with only people in Spain (57 percent), India (57 percent) and China (56 percent) expressing greater resistance,” said a press release from YouGov Singapore Pte Ltd.
