Singapore Finds Expansive Growth in Illegal Online Gambling
More and more young people in Indonesia are gambling online, and don't realize the practice is illegal. Due to high rates of computer literacy and convenience of use of online casinos, the number of online gamblers among young adults has grown tenfold in the last three years.
Singapore only allows legal gambling at the Singapore Turf Club and Singapore Pools, neither of which offer online gambling.
If charged with illegal gambling, a player could be fined up to $5000 and faced with jailtime up to six months.
Still, sports betting and online table games continue to grow in popularity. As previously seen in the United States, denying local credit cards does not stop the process; it merely brings in third-party money handlers.
Despite warnings from government officials that gambling will inevitably lead to losing money, the hobby is enveloping the culture. Online gambling is preferred for ease of access, but bookies and other gambling outlets also prosper.
This is yet another example of a country that would best serve its citizenry by legalizing and regulating online casino sites, rather than attempting to block them.
