Gambling Control Act 2022 · Updated to 21 Sep 2026 · Part 6 · Harm Minimisation and Integrity Protection Measures
86. Defences
Official textFrom Singapore Statutes Online, unchanged
In any proceedings for an offence under section 34 or 85, it is a defence for the person charged to prove, on a balance of probabilities, that —
the person published a gambling advertisement or sent an inducement to gamble for or on the direction of a licensee or class licensee; or
the person is acting in the course of a business of delivering, transmitting or broadcasting information or material (in whatever form or by whatever means) or making data available and the nature of the business is such that persons undertaking it have no control over the nature or content of the information or material or data.
Where a person is charged with an offence under section 85, it is also a defence for the person charged to prove, on a balance of probabilities, that —
the advertisement was so published as an accidental or incidental accompaniment to the publication of other matter not forming part of any promotion of gambling; and
the person does not receive any direct or indirect benefit (whether financial or not) for publishing that gambling advertisement, in addition to any direct or indirect benefit that the person receives for publishing that other matter.
In addition, in any proceedings for an offence under section 85, it is a further defence for the person charged to prove, on a balance of probabilities, that the person —
is a person whose business is to publish or arrange for the publication of advertisements and that the person received the advertisement for publication in the ordinary course of business;
has no financial interest in the gambling or gambling service featured in the advertisement; (c)did not know that the advertisement is about unlawful gambling or an unlawful gambling service; and
had taken all reasonably practicable steps as are necessary to ascertain that the gambling or the gambling service (as the case may be) was not unlawful.
Terms defined in s 3
business
Defined · s 3“business” includes —(a)a venture or concern in trade or commerce, whether or not conducted on a regular, repetitive or continuous basis; and(b)any business, whether or not carried on for profit,and the fact that an unincorporated association provides services to its members does not prevent those services from being services provided in the course of business;
class licensee
Defined · s 3“class licensee” means a person to which a class licence applies;
gambling service
Defined · s 3“gambling service” means any of the following services, including such a service provided through a gambling service agent:(a)a service comprising wholly or in part of —(i)the placing, making, receiving, accepting or negotiating of bets;(ii)operating a betting exchange or betting information centre; (iii)operating a totalisator;(iv)organising pool betting;(v)matching gamblers; (vi)laying or offering odds; or(vii)offering an opportunity to or otherwise facilitating others to bet in accordance with arrangements made by the service provider;(b)a service for the conduct of a lottery; (c)a service for the supply of lottery tickets; (d)a service —(i)for others to play a game of chance; or (ii)offering an opportunity to or otherwise facilitating others to play a game of chance, for a prize in accordance with arrangements made by the service provider;(e)a service of controlling or operating a computer server —(i)in Singapore that enables any game of chance to be played by others in Singapore or elsewhere by remote communication for a prize; or(ii)in Singapore or elsewhere that enables any game of chance to be played by others in Singapore by remote communication for a prize;(f)a service of making available to others any gaming machine for the purpose of gambling;
information or material
Defined · s 3“information or material” means information or material in any form, such as (but not limited to) —(a)oral, audible, written, electronic or digital form; (b)words or symbols, or visual, pictorial or graphic form (for example, an anthropomorphic or a humanlike depiction), and whether still or moving; and(c)3 or 2 dimensional form,and includes information or material in any combination of forms;
licensee
Defined · s 3“licensee” means a person to whom a licence is granted under this Act but does not include a class licensee;
unlawful gambling
Defined · s 3“unlawful gambling” means gambling that —(a)is not social gambling; but(b)is any of the following:(i)unlawful betting;(ii)unlawful gaming activity; (iii)unlawful participation in a lottery; (iv)an offence under section 31;
unlawful gambling service
Defined · s 3“unlawful gambling service” means conducting a betting operation, or conducting gaming or a lottery in contravention of section 18(1) or 19(1);
Part 7
Regulatory Sanctions
Part 8
Reconsideration and Appeals
Part 9
Enforcement
Part 10
Administration
Part 11
Miscellaneous
Part 12
Amendments to Casino Control Act 2006
Part 13