Singapore cracks down on illegal gambling with stricter laws and blocked sites
Singapore has taken strong steps to curb illegal gambling since updating its laws last year. The government has blocked thousands of unlicensed operators and frozen millions in suspicious transactions. Yet some proposed measures, like letting families freeze the bank accounts of problem gamblers, remain unimplemented. In September 2023, Singapore passed the Casino Control (Amendment) Bill to tighten gambling regulations. The law aimed to reduce harm by giving authorities more power to block illegal platforms. By the end of 2024, officials had restricted access to 3,800 unlicensed gambling websites and apps.
The government has also stopped 145,000 illegal transactions worth $27 million. These actions form part of a broader effort to protect residents from unregulated betting. Legal online gambling in Singapore is limited to Singapore Pools and the Singapore Turf Club, making the country a prime target for unlicensed operators.
Despite these efforts, one proposed measure has not been introduced. Families still cannot request banks to freeze the accounts of relatives with gambling problems. Meanwhile, authorities continue to investigate illegal gambling activity and urge the public to report suspicious sites. Singapore's crackdown on illegal gambling has seen thousands of sites blocked and millions in transactions halted. The government maintains its focus on enforcement while leaving some proposed safeguards, like family-requested account freezes, on hold. Officials still rely on public cooperation to identify and shut down unlicensed platforms.
