Arcade and amusement park operators are urged to let patrons know about the new selection of rewards

Arcade and amusement park operators are urged to let patrons know about the new selection of rewards

Since March 1, operators of arcades and amusement fairs have been limited to provide rewards of no more than S$100.

Singapore: Operators of amusement fairs and arcades are advised to notify patrons about a forthcoming restriction on the value of the prizes they provide.

In a statement released on Thursday, February 1, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said that starting on March 1, awards must have a value of no more than S$100.

Additionally, operators are not permitted to give out coupons, merchant vouchers, credits, currency equivalents, or cash. Additionally, they won't be able to repurchase the rewards that consumers have won.

Last year, the punishments were made public.

On Wednesday, an advice was sent by the Home Ministry to "encourage operators to inform their customers about the upcoming restrictions." Posting notifications on their property is another aspect of this.

On February 6 of last year, the government notified all operators of the limitations.

"The majority of the games available on amusement machines at amusement parks and fairs are based on chance," the MHA said.

It claims that expensive rewards, such gaming systems and cellphones, are given away to encourage people to play.

"These two components mean that engaging in such games is no different from gambling," claimed the ministry.

The restriction, according to the Home Ministry, is being put in place to "reduce the risk of gambling addiction, particularly among youth".

It said that such actions have been implemented in other nations, including the UK, where the maximum reward in a claw machine is £50 (S$85).

Operators that violate the regulations risk having their licenses for providing public entertainment revoked or suspended, as well as a fine of up to S$20,000.

In addition, coordinating unlawful gambling might result in a fine of up to S$500,000 and a seven-year prison sentence.

Home Ministry on a plan for 2021gathered opinions from the general population about capping the value of rewards for mystery boxes, arcade games, and claw machines.

"Without adding to operators' regulatory burden, this limit will be sufficient to address the inducement effect of high-value prizes," the statement said at the time.

"We are careful not to over-regulate," the ministry said. We acknowledge that a large number of Singaporeans see mystery boxes, arcade games, and claw machines as types of amusement."

"Yet, precautions must still be taken to guarantee that these activities do not encourage gambling behavior or cause social problems."