As online gaming and poker regulation remains an issue without resolution in the United States (save for a few states), two countries are currently looking at updating their laws regarding the issue. Those two countries, however, are taking entirely different approaches as to how their respective countries will handle online gaming and poker.
In a story from AsiaOne.com, writer Lim Yan Liang reports that Singapore is considering a bill that would criminalize online gaming and poker not only for companies offering such fare but also for players on said sites. The law eerily reflects the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act (UIGEA) and “Black Friday” situations in that online sites would be blocked from operation in the country or seized outright. In addition to those moves, transactions identified as online gaming transfers to offshore sites would be blocked.
Going a step further, the bill (called the “Remote Gaming Bill”) would criminalize players who partake of the action from offshore sites. Liang reports that players face the potential penalty of six months in jail or a fine of up to $5000. If a person is inviting underage players (under 21) to gamble online, those penalties increase to a fine between $20,000 and $300,000 and the violator would also face up to six years in prison. Liang also states that “agents” (presumably affiliates who direct players to online sites) would face strict penalties.
The move appears to be one in which Singapore is looking to nationalize their online gaming operations. Online gaming and poker would still be offered in the country, but only through sites that are based in Singapore and are “non-profit” operations. Statistics state that Singapore’s online gaming market is worth about $416 million (U. S. dollar) and that 95% of that total is wagered on offshore sites.
While the proposed regulations in Singapore might not have an effect on U. S. players, another country’s moves could be much more significant. In Mexico, the Parliament is looking to update their regulations on gaming overall and, in particular, online gaming and poker. Mexico has laws on the books that date back to 1947, but the head of the Association of Licensees, Operators and Suppliers of Gaming and Entertainment in Mexico (AIEJA) believes it is time for an upgrade to cover online gaming and poker.
The bill would look to clear up several issues in Mexico. A minimum gaming age of 21 would be established and offer licensees 10-year licenses. Several new organizations would be established to oversee the new regulations (including an advisory committee composed of the secretaries of several government agencies), and regulation of online gaming and poker would be enacted.
That final point is where some U. S. players may have an issue. It is believed that the new online regulations would (like Singapore) nationalize operations and make offshore operations (and playing on them) illegal. Mexico has been a popular destination for U. S. players that have been affected by the shutdown of the major online poker sites and, if those sites are put under watch in Mexico, could prevent them from being able to play “south of the border.”
Miguel Angel Ochoa Sanchez, the president of AIEJA, believes that the bill will overwhelmingly pass through the Mexican Parliament by September 20 at the latest. After passage of the bill, Ochoa Sanchez is looking to have it implemented before Mexican general elections take place in 2015.
The two proposals by Singapore and Mexico continue a trend that has been rampant since the mid-2000s in online gaming and poker. Many countries in Europe (Germany, France, Spain and Italy, most notably) have nationalized their online gaming operations (believed to be a violation of many European Union trade laws) and Scandinavian countries (Denmark, Sweden) have followed suit. The success of these nationalization efforts has been mixed, with France especially reporting that revenues from online gaming and poker have fallen precipitously because of the lack of action from a French-centric gaming operation.
