Singapore prelate concerned about online gambling

October 12, 2016

The archbishop of Singapore has expressed concerned about the effects of a recent government decision to permit online gambling.

After reviewing the teaching of the Catechism of the Catholic Church on gambling, Archbishop William Goh said in an October 12 pastoral message that “while we maintain that gambling is morally neutral, any adverse effects on our people need to be carefully considered, since not all gamblers are able to make prudent or conscientious judgement of their actions – most or all of the time.”

“This is especially true with regard to bringing online gambling into the comfort, convenience and privacy of the home where there is even greater temptation and opportunity for gambling to become a compulsive habit,” he added. “Recognizing that the stakes are high, the Catholic Church has appealed to the authorities to closely monitor the effectiveness of the move whilst taking all necessary measures to help those who may fall victim to online gambling.”

 

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Further information:

• Pastoral Message on On-line Gambling (Archdiocese of Singapore)
• Catholic Church urges Government to monitor gambling situation (Singapore Straits-Times)