It will soon be legal for family and friends to engage in social gambling at homes, including mahjong and poker, under the new Gambling Control Act from 1 August onwards.
However, the gambling needs to be conducted inside a person’s home and residence and not be conducted for business.
It is also illegal for persons under the age of 21 to gamble under the new rules, except for at Singapore Pools where those above 18 can gamble.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on 31 July that a new regulatory authority will be overseeing the gambling under the new rules of the Act, which takes effect tomorrow.
The functions of the Casino Regulatory Authority will be taken over by the Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA), and they will be granted powers to regulate all forms of gambling in Singapore.
MHA said that the government aims to respond to “emerging gambling products” and “stay ahead of technological and gambling trends”.
MHA also added that online social gambling is banned because there are difficulties to prove that the gamblers are qualified for the activities, such as their age.