NCCS wants review of online betting

This article is more than 12 months old

Oct 06, 2016 06:00 am

The National Council of Churches Singapore (NCCS) is appealing to the Government to review its recent move to allow two lottery operators here to offer online betting.

In a statement yesterday, the Council said it was gravely concerned about the decision to exempt Singapore Pools and the Singapore Turf Club from the Remote Gambling Act, reported The Straits Times Online.

It said the Government is sending "confusing and conflicting signals", noting that the Act, which outlawed all online and phone betting activities, was passed by Parliament just two years ago.

Last week, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said it was giving the green light to the two operators to launch their online services, exempting them from Act.

MHA said operators have to put in place safeguards, such as allowing only those above 21 to open accounts and requiring players to set daily limits on their spending on online gambling. Other safeguards include the option for self-exclusion and checks to ensure that those who try to open accounts do not have existing casino exclusion orders.

Singapore Pools will launch its online betting services on Oct 25. The Turf Club will launch its Web and mobile platform on Nov 15.