In forceUpdated to 21 Sep 2026

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Gambling Control Act 2022 · Updated to 21 Sep 2026 · Part 3 · Presumptions and Evidence

44. Presumption of using, etc., of premises as gambling place

(1)

If a police officer or an authorised officer as authorised under this Act to enter any premises —

(a)

is, at a particular time, wilfully prevented from, or is obstructed or delayed in, entering or re‑entering those premises or any part of those premises; (b)finds at a particular time, an external or internal door of, or a means of access to, those premises to be fitted with a bolt, bar, chain, or any means or device —

(i)

for the purpose of preventing, delaying or obstructing the entry or re‑entry into those premises of a police officer or an authorised officer; or (ii)for giving an alarm in case of such entry or re‑entry;

(c)

finds those premises at a particular time to be fitted or provided with —

(i)

any gambling article for conducting a betting operation, a game of chance or a lottery; or

(ii)

any equipment, device or other thing for concealing, removing or destroying any gambling article; (d)finds at a particular time in the possession of any individual in those premises —

(i)

any gambling article for conducting a betting operation, a game of chance or a lottery; or

(ii)

any equipment, device or other thing for concealing, removing or destroying any gambling article; or

(e)

finds at a particular time any individual in those premises concealing, removing or destroying any gambling article,every occupier of those premises is to be presumed, until the contrary is proved, to have used or allowed to be used those premises as an unlawful gambling place at or about that particular time, and gambling is to be presumed, until the contrary is proved, to have taken place in those premises at or about that particular time.

(2)

If a police officer or an authorised officer as authorised under this Act to enter premises enters any premises at a particular time, and —

(a)

the premises are upon entering found to be fitted or provided with any remote communication equipment arranged in such a manner as to suggest that the equipment is or was being used for the receiving or transmitting of any information relating to —

(i)

any race, competition, sporting event or other event or process, taking place in Singapore or elsewhere;

(ii)

the likelihood of anything occurring, or not occurring, in Singapore or elsewhere; or (iii)whether anything is or is not true,regardless that the remote communication equipment has been disconnected, rendered inoperable or tampered with; and

(b)

after entering, 2 or more messages by remote communication are received, by an individual in those premises or on any remote communication equipment at those premises, enquiring about the results, commentary or dividends payable on any matter mentioned in paragraph (a)(i), (ii) or (iii),every occupier of those premises is to be presumed, until the contrary is proved, to have used or allowed to be used those premises as a betting information centre.

(3)

If —

(a)

a police officer or an authorised officer as authorised under this Act to enter any place or premises enters any place or premises at a particular time; and (b)after entering, 2 or more messages by remote communication are received, by an individual in the place or premises or on any remote communication equipment in that place or those premises, relating to —

(i)

the accepting, receiving or negotiating of bets or wagers; or (ii)any results, commentary or dividends payable on any matter mentioned in subsection (2)(a)(i), (ii) or (iii),every occupier of that place or those premises is to be presumed, until the contrary is proved, to have used or allowed to be used that place or those premises to conduct a betting operation.

(4)

Where one or more gaming machines are found on a part of any premises wholly occupied by an entity for its purposes, being a part that is accessible only to members of the entity, the occupier of those premises is to be presumed, until the contrary is proved, to be using or allowing the premises to be used to conduct a game of chance, the participants of which are all the members of the entity.

Terms defined in s 3

authorised officer
Defined · s 3
“authorised officer”, in relation to any provision of this Act, means an individual who is appointed under section 122 to perform any function or exercise any power under that provision;
Open s 3
conducting a betting operation
Defined · s 3
“conducting a betting operation” has the meaning given by section 6;
Open s 3
entity
Defined · s 3
“entity” means —(a)a body corporate (including a limited liability partnership); (b)an unincorporated association;(c)a partnership;(d)a body of individuals who together form a body; or(e)a person other than an individual;
Open s 3
event
Defined · s 3
“event” includes a contingency relating to an event;
Open s 3
gambling
Defined · s 3
“gambling” has the meaning given by section 4;
Open s 3
gambling article
Defined · s 3
“gambling article” means —(a)any machine, apparatus, appliance, equipment, instrument, communication device or other device, accessory or any other thing (whether or not of a similar kind), that —(i)is used, apparently used, likely to be used or capable of being used in conducting, or in connection with conducting, a betting operation, gaming or a lottery; or(ii)is evidence of, or signifies participation in, gambling or a right to participate in gambling that is not social gambling; or(b)any list, card, ticket, voucher, accounts or other document that —(i)is used, apparently used, likely to be used or capable of being used, in conducting, or in connection with conducting, a betting operation, gaming or a lottery; or(ii)is evidence of, or signifies participation in, gambling or a right to participate in gambling that is not social gambling,whether or not it is ordinarily used for some other purpose;
Open s 3
lottery
Defined · s 3
“lottery” has the meaning given by section 9;
Open s 3
occupier
Defined · s 3
“occupier”, in relation to any place or premises, has the meaning given by subsections (3) and (4);
Open s 3
place
Defined · s 3
“place” includes any premises and any conveyance, and any part of any premises or conveyance;
Open s 3
premises
Defined · s 3
“premises” means —(a)any space, whether built on or not and whether underground or underwater, or any part of such a space; or(b)any building or structure, whether situated underground or underwater, or any part of a building or structure or place, but does not include a conveyance;
Open s 3
remote communication
Defined · s 3
“remote communication” means communication through —(a)the Internet;(b)the telephone or other communication device;(c)the television or radio; or(d)any other kind of electronic or other technology for facilitating communication,but excludes any specific system or method of communication that the Minister, by order in the Gazette, declares not to be treated as remote communication for the purposes of this Act;
Open s 3
remote communication equipment
Defined · s 3
“remote communication equipment” includes a computer or computer system and a communication device;
Open s 3
sporting event
Defined · s 3
“sporting event” means a sport or competition, or an exhibition, entertainment or activity, involving primarily the exercise of physical prowess or dexterity, physical strength, physical stamina or mental stamina and to the extent that —(a)human beings are the only contestants or participants who take part in or play the sport, competition, exhibition, entertainment or activity; or(b)it is a sport or competition, or an exhibition, entertainment or activity in which human beings take part in —(i)by riding animals or exercise of other skill in relation to animals;(ii)by driving, piloting, crewing any vehicle, vessel, aircraft or other form of transport;(iii)by competing with natural obstacles or natural forces, or by overcoming them; or(iv)by using a computer on a computer monitor, television screen, mobile device or similar medium with electronically recorded data installed in to support an interactive computer game or computer‑generated images,and includes a match, a series of matches, a race, a series of races, a time trial, a qualification session, a tournament and a round, but does not include the following:(c)any game of chance; (d)any fitness activity or recreational activity that is not organised in the course of any business;
Open s 3
unlawful gambling place
Defined · s 3
“unlawful gambling place” means any place or premises —(a)used for or in connection with conduct of —(i)any unlawful betting operation;(ii)any unlawful gaming; or(iii)any unlawful lottery; or(b)used for or in connection with any unlawful gambling,and any place or premises may be regarded as used for or in connection with a purpose in paragraph (a) or (b) even if it is used for that purpose on only one occasion;
Open s 3

Read on from s 45

Part 4

Licensing

Read on from Part 4

Part 5

Gambling Venue and Games Approval

Read on from Part 5

Part 6

Harm Minimisation and Integrity Protection Measures

Read on from Part 6

Part 7

Regulatory Sanctions

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Part 8

Reconsideration and Appeals

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Part 9

Enforcement

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Part 10

Administration

Read on from Part 10

Part 11

Miscellaneous

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Part 12

Amendments to Casino Control Act 2006

Read on from Part 12

Part 13

Repeals, Amendments to Other Acts and Final Provisions

Read on from Part 13

Schedules

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