Meaning of “gambling” and associated terms
4.—(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—
“betting” means the staking of money or money’s worth—
(a) on the outcome of a horse-race or sporting event (whether or not the horse-race or sporting event has already occurred or been completed); or
(b) on any other event, thing or matter specified or described by the Minister, by notification in the
Gazette, to be betting for the purposes of this Act;
“gambling” means all or any of the following:
(a) betting;
(b) gaming;
(c) participating in a lottery;
“gambling service” means—
(a) a service for the conduct of a public lottery;
(b) a service for the supply of any public lottery tickets;
(c) a service for the negotiating, placing, making, receiving or accepting of bets; or
(d) a service for the conduct of a game of chance where the game is played for money or money’s worth, and a customer of the service gives or agrees to give money or money’s worth to play or enter the game;
“game of chance” includes—
(a) a game that involves both an element of chance and an element of skill; or
(b) a game that is presented as involving an element of chance, but does not include any game, method, device, scheme or
competition specified or described by the Minister, by order in the Gazette, as not to be a game of chance for the purposes of this Act;
“gaming” means playing a game of chance for money or money’s worth;
“lottery”—
(a) means any game, method, device, scheme or competition whereby money or money’s worth is distributed or allotted in any manner depending upon or to be determined by chance or lot, whether the same is held, drawn, exercised or managed inside or outside Singapore; and
(b) includes any other game, method, device, scheme or competition specified or described by the Minister, by notification in the Gazette
, to be a lottery for the purposes of this Act;
“money’s worth” means any thing recognised as equivalent to money and includes virtual credits, virtual coins, virtual tokens, virtual objects or any similar thing that is purchased within, or as part of, or in relation to, a game of chance;
“public lottery” means a lottery to which the public or any section of the public in Singapore has or may have access, and
every lottery is to be treated as a public lottery until the contrary is proved;
“telephone betting service” means a gambling service provided on the basis that dealings with customers are wholly by way of voice calls (whether or not involving a recorded or synthetic voice) made using a standard telephone service.
(2) For the purposes of this Act, a person plays a game of chance if the person participates in a game of chance whether or not there are other participants in the game of chance, and whether or not a computer generates images or data taken to represent the actions of
other participants in the game of chance.
(3) To avoid doubt, a person plays a game of chance for money or money’s worth if the person plays a game of chance and thereby
acquires a chance of winning any money or money’s worth, whether or not the person risks losing anything at the game.
