MDA clarifies: games will be safe from Remote Gambling Act

remote gambling bill singapore

Singapore’s notorious Remote Gambling Act, the one that got everyone worried about the fate of the games industry in the little red dot, has finally received a proper clarification from the country’s Media Development Authority (MDA). The act put Singapore in the spotlight last year when its broad interpretation of gambling all but illegalized games with gashapon features.

The MDA confirms what second minister for home affairs S. Iswaran said last year – there will be no policemen nor MDA officials breaking down studio doors if you’re seen flouting the broad bill.

This official clarification from the agency excludes the following games from the act.

• Games that do not allow players to win money or real-world merchandise that can be exchanged for money through the game.

• Games that allow players to purchase or exchange game credits or tokens but don’t provide the in-game facility to convert them to money or merchandise that can be exchanged for money.

• Games that allow players to buy, gain, or trade enhancements but don’t let them convert these enhancements through the game into money or merchandise that can be exchanged for money.

• Games that rank players but don’t let them convert their positions through the game into money or merchandise that can be exchanged for money.

It also cites Singapore-developed 2fuse and Taiwan’s Tower of Saviors as examples. The Act follows a general rule where it doesn’t prohibit mechanisms to reward players for their skills, providing these are not done to facilitate criminal activity or within a casino-style game. This allows companies to run tournaments and activities where skilled players can win real-world prizes, so eSports is exempt too.

MDA finishes the statement by noting that the act “will not impede the development of legitimate social media gaming businesses and will continue working with the gaming industry to ensure its continued growth and development.”

See: With more regulations in hand, guess who the MDA is after now?

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