Singapore to regulate trading cards to mitigate risk of gambling inducement

SINGAPORE: Trading card packs will soon be regulated in Singapore, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Friday (Feb 27), part of the country’s measures to address gambling-related risks from the sale of blind boxes.

Blind boxes are sealed packages where the items inside, typically collectable toys, figurines or cards, are not disclosed to the buyer at the point of purchase.

“MHA and the Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) are intending to introduce regulations to regulate the sale of blind boxes, including trading card packs, to mitigate the risk of gambling inducement,” MHA told CNA on Friday.

“We are drafting the regulations and will share more details when ready. The expected implementation timeline will also be shared in due course.”