Lau Kok Keng has been in practice in Singapore since 1990. He currently leads Rajah & Tann LLP’s Gaming practice. His team handles advisory, regulatory, transactional and disputes work relating to gambling and the industry.
Kok Keng is recognised as a leading lawyer in his fields by following publications such as Asian Legal Business’s Legal Who’s Who, Asia Pacific Legal 500, AsiaLaw Profiles, PLC Which Lawyer? Yearbook Singapore and Who’s Who Legal Singapore. Kok Keng has also been consistently named in The International Who's Who of Internet, e-Commerce & Data Protection Lawyers, The International Who’s Who of Sports & Entertainment Lawyers, The International Who’s Who of Information Technology Lawyers and the Asia Pacific Legal 500, placing him amongst the world's pre-eminent lawyers in these respective fields.
Since 2001, Kok Keng has been actively involved in representing and advising clients in the gambling industry. His practice is arguably the most experienced and extensive gambling law practice in Singapore and in the region. Kok Keng is one of only 2 Singapore lawyers who are members of the International Masters in Gaming Law.
Kok Keng’s team has, through their work with clients in the gambling industry, acquired a good practical understanding of various lottery, gaming and betting operations and products, and is able to apply that domain knowledge to the work products that are generated. He has advised on the legal and regulatory aspects of product conception, product development, devising of game rules, setting up of betting accounts and e-payment procedures, product launch, product distribution (including regulatory restrictions on retail outlet operations), prize claims and disputes over prize entitlements. He has also rendered legal support work such as the vetting of IT contracts, distributorship and supplier contracts, intellectual property issues, online banking issues, tax issues, consultancy contracts, sponsorship contracts and dispute resolution.
In addition, Kok Keng works with foreign and offshore private gaming operators, including a UK based casino, a cruise ship casino and international gaming operators who offer online casinos, lotteries and sports betting products. He has helped companies desiring to enter the gaming industry undertake due diligence, feasibility studies, regulatory analysis, enlisting back-end and front-line operational support, dealing with contractual relationships with gaming vendors, and preparing/vetting supplier contracts.
Uniquely, he helped establish the legal framework governing legalized sports betting in Singapore. In 2002, he advised Singapore Pools on the implementation of a legalized betting system for the FIFA World Cup 2002 matches. This was the first time Singapore had allowed legalized betting on foreign football matches. Following from this, he helped set up the legal infrastructure for betting on foreign football leagues (starting with the English Premier League and then gradually extending to the Italian, Spanish, German and all other professional football leagues around the world), and international competitions like the UEFA Championships and Copa America, and international friendly matches. This involved drafting the exemptions under the Betting Act, advising on intellectual property issues relating to use of fixture lists, statistics and 3rd party commercial rights, drafting rules for participation in betting, review prize structures and claim procedures, reviewing regulatory compliance issues, advising on rollout implementation issues, and reviewing game rules for each bet type on offer.
Subsequently, he and his team were involved in setting up the legal infrastructure relating to account betting. This involved negotiating with banks and payment service providers for facilitating betting through accounts created with the bookmaker and linked to the customer’s nominated bank accounts, drafting terms and conditions for account betting, and resolving transactional matters, including live betting and prize claim issues.
In 2008, when Singapore hosted the first Formula 1 night race, he helped set up the legal infrastructure for betting on Formula 1 races. This extended beyond the Singapore Grand Prix to all races on the F1 Circuit.
He has advised clients on the provision of gaming services over multiple platforms including over the internet and through mobile phones. In addition, he has crafted betting data centre agreements, mobile betting payment fulfilment contracts, and advised on gaming and sports betting advertising regulations for various Asia Pacific jurisdictions.
Kok Keng has worked with foreign and offshore gaming operators, including a UK based casino, a cruise ship casino, a Malaysian licensed gaming operator and international gaming operators who offer online casinos, lotteries and sports betting products. He has assisted companies desiring to enter the gaming industry, acquire gambling business assets or relocate gambling operations undertake due diligence, feasibility studies, regulatory analysis, enlisting back-end and front-line operational support, dealing with contractual relationships with gaming vendors and preparing/vetting supplier contracts. He has also worked with providers of gaming hardware and software solutions and consultancy services.
He has also drafted and negotiated commercial agreements with vendors and suppliers of hardware and software used in the operations of sports betting, and with partners who collaborate with the bookmaker on sports events where bets are offered. In addition, he has advised social clubs on jackpot machine licensing, worked with various interested bidders in relation to the Singapore Integrated Resorts tender for the Marina Bay and Sentosa sites, and had advised a gambler who had lost a significant sum of money through gambling at one of the two Integrated Resorts in Singapore of his recourse against the casino for failing in its duties under the Code of Practice for Responsible Gambling.
In recent times, he has been advising various offshore internet gambling operators, agents and support services providers such as software developers, gaming researchers and odds-setters on the effect of the newly introduced Remote Gambling Act 2014 of Singapore.
Some of Kok Keng’s recent gaming law publications include the Singapore chapters of the International Comparative Legal Guide to Gambling 2016 and the Lex Mundi Global Gaming Guide 2017. He is currently in the midst of writing the book Gambling Law & Practice in Singapore. Various gaming law related articles written by him have also been published in the Singapore Law Gazette, The International Sports Law Journal, the World Online Gambling Law Report and European Gaming Lawyer.