Recently in the news, we have been observing a quiet increase in people being caught for illegal betting and gambling in singapore.

Where exactly does the law draw the line in terms of when a friendly poker game between friends (whether online or in someone’s home) becomes illegal? We hope to leave you with a bit of clarity here, so you don’t knowingly break the law the next time you decide whether or not to join your ‘kaki’ for some mahjong.

Mahjong with Family and Friends

• Offence(s) Appearance Notice by Peace Officer s. 497 Summons by Judge or Justice s. 508(1), 512(1), or 788 Release by Peace Officer on Undertaking s. 498, 499, and 501.
• During the enforcement operations against illegal gambling activities, a 64-year-old man and a 74-year-old woman were arrested for their suspected involvement in managing a common gaming house. Seven men and seven women, aged between 37 and 85, were arrested for their suspected involvement in gambling in the same unit.
• In Singapore, there are strict rules on gambling, and any illegal activity will be met with swift punishment. Offenders can be fined as much as $36,884 (almost the average annual salary in the.

SINGAPORE - Nine suspects, seven of whom have been arrested, are being investigated over their involvement in illegal remote gambling activities. More than $170,000 in cash was seized during an. Deputy Public Prosecutor Teo Lu Jia asked for a S$288,000 fine to be imposed, along with a jail sentence of at least five years and four months. She said that the illegal gambling situation in.

Generally, if you are playing mahjong at home with friends and family, or games involving stakes and odds with money exchanged, it may not be considered illegal gambling. This is seen in the landmark case of Chua Seong Soi v Public Prosecutor [2000] SGHC 195, where our (then) Chief Justice ruled that a game of mahjong between friends is not illegal gambling, but seen as a form of recreation.

Where the line is drawn

However, if the unit is dedicated solely to gambling (as defined under Section 2 of the Common Gaming Houses Act: any place kept or used for gaming to which the public or any class of the public has or may have access, and any place kept for habitual gaming), it will be in violation of the act. The owner or operator of such a ‘gaming house’ can be fined between S$5,000 and S$50,000, and jailed for up to 3 years.

If you are found to be participating in such a ‘gaming house’, you can be fined up to S$5,000 or jailed up to 6 months.

In addition to this, if you are found guilty of this offence during this period between 7 April 2020 and 1 June 2020, you will also be in violation of Section 6 of the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act and may be fined up to S$10,000 or jailed for up to 6 months or both!

If you are charged or under investigation for such offences, you should consult a criminal defence lawyer immediately to know your legal rights and explore the possible options moving forward. Our team of experienced criminal defence lawyers at Gloria James-Civetta & Co will guide and navigate you through these complex legal situations.

Possible reasons for increased offences

It is no coincidence that the rates of recent ‘den busts’ making the news have significantly increased. Due to Circuit Breaker measures, which have been introduced to prevent the spread of COVID-19, a lot more people are stuck at home with nothing much to do.

Worse, online gambling provides an avenue for gamblers who will always find a way to gamble, especially given the closure of Singapore Pools during this period.

We also note that Circuit Breaker has affected innocent citizens in other ways, for example, those who have lost their jobs or income due to lay-offs and companies contracting. For these people, unfortunately, gambling becomes a way to earn their livelihood. In these situations, gambling is really not the answer.

Rather, these people could explore their options in terms of the various government subsidies available to them. They are also urged to approach the National Council on Problem Gambling for additional support if theirs is indeed a serious addiction.

Further charges could follow

Kho Bin Kai, the son-in-law of Singapore billionaire Peter Lim, has been granted bail after being charged with one count of facilitating remote gambling on July 30.

The Independent News reports that 29-year-old Kho allegedly assisted in remote gambling between July 15 and July 27. He was reportedly acting on instructions from someone the authorities are referring to as “Ah Leong”.

acting on instructions from someone the authorities are referring to as “Ah Leong”

Illegal Gambling Sentence Singapore Rules

Kho is said to have created an account on a website with the username “KBT12” for an individual named Tan Chun Yong. According to the allegations, this account was being used for the operation of an online gambling service.

There are eight other people facing charges in relation to this case, which has been adjourned until October 8. This adjournment is to allow the police to forensically examine a number of mobile devices.

Further charges could be levied against Kho, depending on what evidence is found on these mobile devices. His bail was set at S$25,000 ($18,000).

Background of both men

Illegal Gambling Sentence Singapore Immigration

In his professional life, Kho has a role in an engineering business, as well as in an educator center. He has been involved in about 12 businesses from 2014 to 2019, most of which were in the food and beverage trade. It was in February 2017 that he married Kim Lim, the daughter of Peter Lim.

Billionaire Peter Lim is a 66-year-old with a net worth of around $2.5bn. He is the owner of Valencia CF in Spain. Lim also owns a 40% share of Salford City, a League Two club in England.

Gambling laws in Singapore

The Remote Gambling Act of 2014 sets out the laws relating to online gambling in Singapore.

Illegal Gambling Sentence Singapore Government

Illegal Gambling Sentence Singapore Official

In 2016, the Singapore Turf Club and Singapore Pools were given the green light to be the two licensed online gambling operators in Singapore. This is only for sports betting. There are no online casinos or online poker available in Singapore as of yet.