Singapore plans regulation for blind boxes over gambling risks

[SINGAPORE] As mania about “mystery” shopping sweeps through the world, Singapore is moving to tackle gambling risks raised by products which conceal their specific contents from shoppers.

Singapore’s gambling authorities and home affairs ministry have decided to regulate how such “blind boxes” are offered to the public, according to a written reply to a parliamentary question on Feb 12.

While authorities draft new regulations, they will consider standardising and making it mandatory for boxes to disclose the probability of receiving certain products. The move aims to better manage gambling inducement risks, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam said.

The blind box phenomenon, which has fuelled surges in revenue for toy manufacturers such as Pop Mart International Group and Miniso Group Holding, has driven fans to hunt down rare models and resell valuable items for thousands of dollars.

Pop Mart has opened at least six stores across Singapore, from the city’s prime shopping district Orchard to suburban malls, and hosts an annual exhibition in the country that draws crowds of hundreds. Tickets to the event sold for as much as S$208 for a premium experience in 2025. It remains unclear how the new regulations may affect sales of the popular series.

Pop Mart did not respond to Bloomberg’s request for comment.

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With these plans, Singapore has gone a step further than many other nations in clamping down on similar mystery products that may encourage gambling-like behaviour.

In 2023, the China Consumers Association called for operators to disclose key information, such as the release quantity and probability of obtaining limited-edition items.

China’s People’s Daily previously warned about related products’ impact on children. It raised the idea of establishing so-called minor-only zones as an attempt to dissuade underage buyers from addictive purchasing behaviours. BLOOMBERG