Singapore's Gambling Regulatory Authority blocked more than 3,400 illegal gambling websites, over 260 bank accounts and more than $36 million in payments linked to illegal remote gambling services, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Ministry of Social and Family Development said on June 12, 20241.
The figures were restated in reporting on an offshore platform, GemBet, that takes World Cup bets from punters in Singapore. GemBet is based in Curacao and is operated by an offshore entity incorporated there, Grand Complications NV1. Punters who choose PayNow are directed to transfer money via one of a number of Singapore-registered companies; other payment methods include cryptocurrencies1.
The platform says it was set up in 2020 and moved to Malaysia in 2022, and describes itself as a home-grown Singapore sports betting operation1. It registered more than 1,900 domain names over the years, many variations of the term GemBet, one of them registered a day before the World Cup opening match on June 111. A subsidiary, Rockman Enterprises, is based in Cyprus and handles payment services1. Online traffic monitoring site Semrush showed close to 50,000 global visits to GemBet's website in June1.
Enforcement has continued alongside the blocking. On July 6, 17 people were arrested in islandwide operations targeting unlawful remote gambling, with more than $720,000 in cash seized1. During the European Football Championship in 2021, 72 people in Singapore were arrested in an Interpol-led operation targeting illegal football gambling, with more than $800,000 in cash seized1.
"Bets placed on websites like GemBet are illegal and carry heavy penalties."
| Offense | Maximum penalty |
|---|---|
| Placing a bet with an unlawful gambling service | Fine up to $10,000, jail up to six months, or both |
| Operating or assisting unlawful gambling services | Fine up to $500,000, jail up to seven years |
| Repeat offenders | Fine up to $700,000, jail up to 10 years |
A record $12.7 billion was spent on lottery, sports betting and horse racing in the financial year 2024/2025 through Singapore Pools1.
What it means for players
Bets placed with an unlawful gambling service in Singapore are illegal, and the penalties above apply to the person placing the bet as well as to those operating or assisting the service1. That covers locals, expats and visitors betting through offshore sites that accept Singapore customers, including sites that present themselves as local or legal1. The blocking measures target websites, bank accounts and payments, so money sent to such a service can be caught in the same action1. The Singapore Police Force also works with stakeholders to terminate local phone numbers used to advertise illegal gambling services and to block bank account and credit card payments linked to illegal online gambling, MHA said in a statement on June 91. How many people in Singapore use GemBet, and how much money originates from Singapore, has not been reported; the platform's customer service operator declined to give those figures, calling them confidential and internal1.
What happens next
No further dated steps were announced in the reporting beyond the measures already described: the June 12, 2024 blocking figures, the June 9 police statement on terminating phone numbers and blocking payments, and the July 6 arrests1.
