National Council of Churches of Singapore to form task force on gambling

The National Council of Churches of Singapore (NCCS) will form a task force to address the social ills of gambling, in the wake of the government’s decision to allow online gambling.

It will also work with the Roman Catholic Church and other faith communities in this arena, while monitoring the online gambling situation closely.

The NCCS made the announcement on Wednesday (19 October) in a letter to its members, which was signed by its president Bishop Rennis Ponniah and general secretary Rev Dr Ngoei Foong Nghian.

NCCS represents more than 120 churches and Christian organisations of different denominations in Singapore.

Earlier this month, the Council had issued a statement saying that the government’s decision to allow Singapore Pools and Singapore Turf Club to provide online betting services was sending ‘conflicting and confusing signals’.

Following the statement, NCCS representatives had a “candid and important face-to-face discussion” with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Social and Family, said the Council in its latest letter.

While acknowledging that the government’s decision on online gambling was a “judgement call” based on its studies on the social impact of gambling, NCCS expressed its reservations on the matter.

This is because “research on this area is still nascent”, and statistics often do not tell the whole story. “The personal and social impacts of gambling, however, are often much deeper and more profound,” said the Council.

NCCS said that authorities had expressed willingness to “proactively strengthen the family and our social fabric” to mitigate the harmful effects of gambling. The government has proposed meeting with NCCS leaders within the next six months, NCCS added.

Minister for Social and Family Development Tan Chuan-Jin told Parliament on 10 October that while the government tries to track gambling rates in Singapore through surveys, it is not able to ascertain the exact number of people who place bets online.

Apart from setting up the Task Force, NCCS said it plans to publish a tract on gambling for teaching and discussion, which will be given to every church member.

Last week, the Catholic Church in Singapore also expressed concerns about a “gambling culture” deepening in the country.