Question:Mr Yip Hon Weng: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) how many illegal gambling websites and apps are currently blocked and banned in Singapore; (b) why are Singapore residents still able to access such sites and services; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider allowing families of problem gamblers to request the blocking of bank accounts used by these problem gamblers for their gambling activities.
Answer:
Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law: 1. As of 31 December 2024, the Ministry of Home Affairs has
blocked more than 3,800 illegal gambling websites which we assess to be likely targeted
at, or likely to be frequented by the Singapore public, and more than 145,000 illegal
gambling transactions involving the Singapore public, amounting to approximately $37
million.
2. These blocking measures have impeded access to illegal online gambling to some
extent. However, this approach is clearly not foolproof as illegal operators can easily
create new websites, and we do not have the ability to know of every gambling website.
We encourage members of the public to report illegal gambling websites, apps, and
advertisements, as well as bank accounts used by illegal gambling operators, to the
Police.
3. The Government has put in place various measures to help problem gamblers, such
as funding Social Service Agencies to provide counselling and run support groups.
Families of problem gamblers should encourage them to seek assistance by calling the
National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1800-6-668-668 or visiting
www.ncpg.org.sg.
4. Regarding the Member’s suggestion, there are no plans for now to allow families to
request the blocking of bank accounts used by problem gamblers. Our view is that our
current measures are adequate, as the probable pathological and problem gambling rate
has remained low and stable at about one per cent.
