A Singapore resident jailed for offering ‘betting insurance’ to casino gamblers is appealing his sentence based on his read of the city-state’s legal definition of a bookmaker.

In December 2015, Peh Hai Yam was convicted on nine counts of conspiring with others to provide ‘insurance’ to baccarat players at Genting’s Resorts World Sentosa casino. Baccarat insurance allows gamblers to lay off a portion of their main wager as a hedge against losing the lot should they draw unlucky cards.

Mr Peh, his wife and another accomplice began their insurance scheme in 2010 but were arrested the following year. At the time, Peh’s wife claimed she’d personally made $50k from her baccarat insurance activity. Peh was sentenced to five months for each of the nine counts against him and fined $200k.

The Straits Times reported that Peh’s lawyer launched an appeal last month with the High Court, based on the argument that the prohibition on bookmaking in Singapore’s Betting Act applies only to taking wagers on horseraces and sporting events.