[CLOSED] PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON AMENDMENTS TO THE GAMBLING CONTROL (FUNDRAISERS – CLASS LICENCE) ORDER 2022
The Minister for Home Affairs proposes to amend the Gambling Control (Fundraisers – Class Licence) Order 2022 (the “Order”). Pursuant to Section 61(2) of the Gambling Control Act 2022 (“GCA”), the Gambling Regulatory Authority (“GRA”) is publishing this written notice to invite interested persons to make representations about the proposed variation.
Background
- Under the GCA, lower-risk gambling services are regulated under a class licensing regime. A class licence authorises an operator to which the order applies, to provide a gambling service, or a class or description of gambling service, without having to apply for a licence. However, an operator must meet the conditions spelt out in the relevant legislation before offering the gambling service, or the class or description of gambling service.
- The Order permits eligible persons to conduct fundraising lotteries for approved religious, educational, charitable and benevolent purposes, subject to the eligibility criteria and conditions set out in the Order. These include requirements relating to the distribution of lottery proceeds, advertising and the conduct of fundraiser lotteries. The Order currently recognises certain organisations by reference to the National Council of Social Service (“NCSS”) membership framework as “eligible persons” that may conduct fundraiser lotteries and as “benefitting organisations” that may receive the proceeds of such lotteries.
- The NCSS (Amendment) Act 2026 (the “NCSS Amendment Act”) makes amendments to the NCSS Act 1992 to streamline the NCSS membership framework, including the removal of the Associate Membership category1. Moving forward, there would only be ‘sector members’ under the NCSS Act 1992. As the Order currently refers to NCSS membership in determining eligibility to rely on the class licence under the Order, consequential amendments are required.
Proposed variation of the Order
- GRA therefore proposes to amend the Order in the manner described below.
- First, we propose to amend the definitions of “approved purpose”, “benefitting organisation” and “eligible person” to reflect the amended NCSS membership framework under the NCSS Amendment Act, that is, to refer to the sector members.
- Second, we intend to introduce an arrangement to allow organisations providing an indirect social service or which provides services or mobilises resources for the benefit of the social service sector to rely on the class licence under the Order to conduct any fundraiser lotteries for a period of two years.
- The Order will apply to organisations that provide an indirect social service which —
- immediately before the commencement date of the NCSS Amendment Act (the “Commencement Date”), held an appointment as an associate Council member mentioned in section 15(1)(b) of the National Council of Social Service Act 1992 as in force immediately before the Commencement Date;
- were registered under the Business Names Registration Act 2014 or the Societies Act 1966, incorporated under the Companies Act 1967, or established by or under any written law; and
- have been carrying on business for a continuous period of at least 2 years.
- As for an “organisation that provides services or mobilises resources for the benefit of the social service sector”, it would refer to an organisation that—
- has the primary function of providing services or mobilising resources (financial or in kind, including the services of volunteers) for the benefit of the social service sector;
- immediately before the Commencement Date, held an appointment as an associate Council member mentioned in section 15(1)(b) of the National Council of Social Service Act 1992 as in force immediately before the Commencement Date;
- is registered under the Business Names Registration Act 2014 or the Societies Act 1966, incorporated under the Companies Act 1967, or established by or under any written law; and
- has been carrying on business for a continuous period of at least 2 years.
- For the avoidance of doubt, the above definitions of “organisation that provide an indirect social service” and “organisation that provides services or mobilises resources for the benefit of the social service sector” in Paragraphs 8 and 9 are subject to change.
Invitation to Provide Feedback
- Members of the public are invited to make representations on the proposed variation by 13 August 2026 via email to feedback@gra.gov.sg.
- Submission must be in softcopy (in Microsoft Word format), and should contain the following details:
- Name of Organisation / Individual;
- Corresponding address, contact number and email address; and
- Comments or suggestions, and reasons where applicable.
- All representations received will be duly considered. However, we will not be able to individually acknowledge or address every one of them. Instead, we will aggregate them, in subsequent communication about the outcome of this public consultation exercise.
1 The NCSS Amendment Act replaced the previous three-tier membership structure (full, associate, and honorary) into a single “Sector Member” tier and tightened the membership criteria to better reflect NCSS’s role as the social service sector developer. Under the revised framework, only organisations whose primary function is either (a) providing a social service in Singapore, or (b) directly supporting the provision of social services qualify as Sector Members. Consequently, organisations that were previously NCSS Associate Members are generally unlikely to qualify as Sector Members under the revised framework and would have to apply to NCSS for sector membership.


