SINGAPORE - More than 2,400 people in Singapore were arrested for illegal gambling in the past three years and about a third of these arrests, or over 800, were for illicit betting activities.
With the World Cup now in full swing, the authorities are clamping down on such activities, which can include placing bets through illegal online gambling platforms or via an unlicensed bookmaker.
Revealing the figures in response to queries from The Straits Times, the police reiterated that Singapore Pools is the only licensed operator to provide lotteries and sports betting services here.
On Nov 26, the police arrested 12 people, aged between 50 and 73, for their suspected involvement in illegal gambling activities.
Five of the suspects are said to have acted as bookmakers to seven others who had allegedly placed bets with them.
The arrests were made when officers from Woodlands Police Division conducted enforcement operations along Woodlands Street 83. Cash amounting to more than $8,250, five mobile phones and gaming-related paraphernalia were seized. Investigations are ongoing.
On top of regular enforcement operations, the police said they are working with various stakeholders to disable telephone lines reported to be advertising unlawful gambling. They are also stepping up efforts to block illegal websites and close bank accounts associated with such activities.
“(We) will endeavour to track the identity of the perpetrators behind unlawful gambling activities and take them to task,” the police said.
Large gatherings of punters and bookies – many of them seniors – have been reported in the past year or so for illegal betting on horse racing, ST reported in April. They often take place at coffee shops and carparks, where bookies can often be seen holding thick wads of $50 and $10 notes.
In May, a 66-year-old cleaner who took illegal bets for such races at a hawker centre was jailed for two weeks and fined $20,000. He was convicted of receiving bets worth $125 at Block 628 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 on Feb 7, 2021.
At the time, off-course betting centres operated by gaming operator Singapore Pools had been shut since March 2020 around the period of a partial lockdown. They reopened only in July 2021 at a reduced capacity.
The cleaner was caught by a police officer who had been deployed to the hawker centre to watch out for illegal betting activities.
Under the law, a person found to have placed bets with an unlicensed service provider can be jailed for up to six months and fined up to $10,000.
Those who conduct illegal gambling can face jail time of up to seven years and be fined up to $500,000. Repeat offenders can be jailed for up to 10 years and fined up to $700,000.
To guard against illegal betting during the World Cup period, which ends on Dec 18, the authorities are intensifying public education efforts.
The National Crime Prevention Council launched a campaign, including television advertisements and social media posts, to warn the public of the risks of betting with illegal operators.
Balloon clappers and hand fans with messages discouraging illegal betting are also being given out at public venues showing live telecasts of World Cup matches.
