Singapore to Regulate Blind Boxes and Trading Card Packs Over Gambling Concerns

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) confirmed that trading card packs sold locally will fall under an upcoming regulatory framework, according to The Straits Times. The ministry said rules are currently being drafted and more details will be announced once they are finalized.

Blind boxes are sealed products whose contents remain unknown at the time of purchase. They commonly contain collectible toys, figurines, or trading cards and typically include rare items with very low odds of being obtained. Authorities are concerned that this element of chance, combined with the possibility of high resale values, can encourage repeated purchases similar to gambling behavior.

Singapore’s Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) currently prohibits certain types of mystery boxes and intends to regulate them through class licensing. Blind boxes, however, fall into a distinct category because buyers draw from a fixed pool of possible items rather than an unlimited or unspecified assortment. This distinction has prompted the government to craft tailored rules addressing their specific risks.

The move follows earlier remarks by Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam, who said regulation would proceed after a joint review by the MHA and GRA. Responding to a parliamentary question from Hougang MP Dennis Tan, he noted that measures under consideration include mandatory disclosure of winning odds and probability ranges for rare items.

Public debate intensified after a forum letter in The Straits Times argued that trading card products — including popular Pokémon card packs — rely on randomized mechanics similar to blind boxes. Although such products are not designed as gambling, critics say the chase for valuable rare cards can replicate gambling psychology and speculative behavior.

Attention to the issue has also grown due to high-profile sales of rare collectibles, including reports of an American influencer selling a rare Pokémon card for more than US$20 million.

The ministry emphasized that its goal is to establish a coherent regulatory approach for products whose value is strongly driven by chance, while ensuring safeguards are in place to protect young consumers.