Singapore to regulate blind boxes, trading cards over gambling concerns
Singapore will regulate blind box products and trading cards to address potential gambling-like behaviors and protect vulnerable individuals.Summary
Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced on Friday that it will implement new regulations for trading card packs and “blind box” products due to concerns about gambling-like risks. The MHA, along with the Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA), is drafting regulations to oversee the sale of these sealed products, where the contents are unknown to the buyer. The goal is to mitigate the potential for these products to encourage compulsive purchasing and gambling behavior, particularly among children and young people. Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam previously stated that authorities were examining how blind boxes should be regulated under existing gambling laws, noting concerns about the normalization of chance-based retail products. Social service groups have also raised concerns about the potential for these purchases to contribute to anxiety and mental health issues.
(Source：Malay Mail)