Online Betting Sites in Singapore

Singapore is one of the few countries in Asia where the online betting question has a short answer. There is exactly one legal way to bet online, and it is run by the state. Everything else, from global bookmakers to regional sportsbooks, sits on the wrong side of the line for players. This page explains what the legal option covers, what it costs, how the account works, and what the offshore sites people ask about actually offer, so you can see the whole picture in one place.

What is legal: Singapore Pools and the two casinos

Gambling in Singapore comes in a small set of legalized forms: betting with Singapore Pools, casino gambling at Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa, jackpot machines in private clubs, and social gambling under strict conditions¹. For online betting, the only legal operator is Singapore Pools, which the company's own game rules describe as "the only legal lottery and sports betting operator in Singapore"².

The general minimum age for gambling in Singapore is 21, with one exception: betting at Singapore Pools' physical outlets, where the age is 18⁶. Singapore Pools applies its own split:

So an online bettor in Singapore needs to be 21, whether citizen, resident or visitor.

The two casinos are covered in detail on our casinos in Singapore page, and the lottery products on the Singapore lottery page. This page is about what happens online.

Online betting outside Singapore Pools is illegal for players

Every betting site other than Singapore Pools is off limits to players in Singapore. That includes the big international bookmakers, the regional Asian sportsbooks, and any site licensed in Curacao, Malta or elsewhere. The rule applies to everyone in the country, not just citizens. Esports betting is illegal in Singapore outright⁷, and social gambling, which has a narrow legal space in person, is not permitted on online platforms at all⁴.

The practical risk is simple: bets placed with illegal sites have no legal protection, and using them is an offense for the player. If you want the details of how the rules are enforced, our gambling rules and penalties in Singapore page covers them. For the rest of this page, the offshore operators are described as they present themselves, because readers ask about them constantly, not because they can be used legally from Singapore.

Singapore Pools online betting: what you can bet on

A Singapore Pools Account is the gateway to all legal online betting. With one, you can place sports, lottery and horse racing bets and track your transactions online⁸. The products are the same ones sold at outlets: TOTO, 4D, Singapore Sweep, and betting on football, motor racing and horse racing⁹.

Sports betting. You can place pre-match sports bets up until sales close before the start of an event, and live sports bets while the event is ongoing³. The minimum stake online is S$1³. Football bets come in three shapes: singles, multiples and live betting¹⁰. Placing a bet follows the usual sportsbook pattern: select the events you want, choose your bet types, add selections to the Bet Slip by clicking the relevant odds, edit the slip if needed, then place and confirm. You can view your bet activities afterwards for the details¹¹.

Horse racing. With an account you can place horse racing bets right up to the start of the race⁸. Offline, bet slips are accepted at betting centers, all branches and Livewire venues¹².

Lottery. TOTO, 4D and Singapore Sweep draws can all be entered through the account. Our TOTO, 4D and Singapore Sweep pages explain each game's draws, ticket prices and prizes.

Opening an account. You must first have a Singapore Pools Account to place bets online¹³. Identity verification is required to activate it, done through SingPass MyInfo, a video call, or a visit to a branch with your ID or an official document containing a foreign pass number¹⁴. Verification takes as little as one hour with SingPass MyInfo, or at least two days with the online form¹⁴. Account holders may only place bets from Singapore; betting through the website or mobile app from foreign IP addresses is prohibited¹⁵.

Money in and out. Deposits to a betting account can only come from your personal bank account; third-party bank accounts are not allowed¹⁶. Funds move instantly by bank linking, and PayNow transfers are available at any time¹⁴. Credit cards are not accepted for bet placement across both retail and online channels¹⁷. At outlets, payment is by cash, ATM card, debit card with NETS function or PayNow¹⁸. Withdrawals are paid by cash, check, PayNow transfer to your bank account, or crediting funds back into your remote betting account¹⁹.

Mobile. The Singapore Pools mobile app gives you access to online betting services, lottery results, sports fixtures and results, and lets you place bets at outlets by QR code instead of a paper bet slip²⁰.

For a fuller walkthrough of the account itself, see the Singapore Pools Account page, and for the betting products, sports betting in Singapore.

Dafabet: Curacao-licensed operator serving the Asia Pacific market

Dafabet is one of the best known offshore brands in the region, and readers in Singapore ask about it often, so here is what it is. Dafabet describes itself as licensed and regulated in compliance with the laws and regulations of Curacao to conduct remote betting and gaming business on its website²¹. That license carries no weight in Singapore, where the site is not legal for players, but it explains how the brand operates across the Asia Pacific market.

Its terms of use set the basic betting rules. Bets cannot be canceled or changed once they have been placed, accepted and recorded²¹. Prices and lines are subject to variation but become fixed at the moment a bet is placed, accepted and recorded, and the operator may change odds at any time without notice²¹. If an error occurs, Dafabet may correct and re-settle the bet at the correct price, or declare it void and return your stake²¹. Sums credited in error are deemed invalid, must be returned, and any bets placed with them can be voided, including winnings derived from them²¹.

Dafabet games and sportsbook: IBC platform, live dealers and slots

Dafabet's sportsbook runs on the IBC sports betting platform, which the operator says it has used exclusively, in cooperation with IBC, for four years²². Beyond sports, the site carries a large gaming library with slots, live dealers, table games, arcade games and more²³. One product, the Exchange wallet, is only accessible to INR currency accounts residing in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka, so it is not part of what a Southeast Asia player would see²².

Account currencies cover the region broadly: Chinese Yuan/Renminbi, Malaysian Ringgit, Thai Baht, Vietnamese Dong, Indonesian Rupiah, Korean Won, Indian Rupee, US Dollar, British Pound, Euro, Polish Zloty, Russian Ruble and milli-bitcoin²².

Dafabet payments: deposits, withdrawals and the same-name rule

Deposits at Dafabet are by Local Bank Transfer and automated payment options, which depend on your chosen currency and your location²². The key rule is the same-name rule: your withdrawal method should be the same as your chosen deposit method²². In practice that means depositing from an account in your own name, since a withdrawal back to someone else's account will not match.

You can cancel a withdrawal request any time within 48 hours of submission²². No identification is needed to make a withdrawal, though Dafabet may request proof of ID, front and back, plus a recent utility bill for security purposes²². Local Bank Transfer users may add up to three bank accounts for withdrawals²².

Dafabet account rules: age, one account per household and limits

Dafabet's registration age is 18²², lower than Singapore's 21 minimum for remote gambling², one more sign that the site is not built for the Singapore market. The site prohibits multiple accounts and allows only one account per household²². After three failed password attempts, the account is automatically locked for 30 minutes²².

On age, Singapore's own rules are the ones that matter locally. Under the Gambling Control Act 2022, an underage individual who uses false evidence of age to open or re-open an account with a licensee for general remote gambling commits an offense²⁴. At Singapore Pools, a person who cannot satisfy the age restriction may have their bet declared void and any prize forfeited².

Other sites readers ask about: 22Bet, 1xBet, CMD368 and me88

The same status applies to every other offshore operator: not legal for players in Singapore. Readers most often ask about these four.

• 22Bet is an international sportsbook offering online betting and odds, with mobile apps for betting on the go²⁵. We cover its license, payments and country coverage in our 22Bet review style pages; see the operator list for details.
• 1xBet is one of the largest global bookmakers. Our 1xBet review covers its countries, license and payment methods.
• CMD368 is an Asian-facing sportsbook brand. Our CMD368 review has the details.
• me88 is a regional online casino and sportsbook brand. See our me88 review.

None of these hold any standing in Singapore, and the player-side illegality described earlier applies to all of them equally. They are listed here because people search for them, not as options.

Safer play: limits, self exclusion and where to get help

Singapore Pools builds several controls into the account. Users can set their own deposit limits and betting limits, and adjust those limits to manage their play²⁶. The "Play Responsibly" message and a helpline number are printed on betting slips and the backs of lottery tickets²⁶.

Self-exclusion is the strongest tool. An online self-exclusion blocks you from the gambling activity you have excluded yourself from, for a definite or indefinite timeframe that you can extend²⁸. In Singapore, individuals may apply to exclude themselves from one or more of the following: the two casinos, jackpot machine rooms at private clubs, and Singapore Pools online betting²⁸. A voluntary self-exclusion from Singapore Pools online betting lasts at least 12 months and stays in force until you successfully apply to revoke it through the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG)²⁹.

Applying is free. You can do it online with SingPass at the NCPG online portal, or in person at 510 Thomson Road #05-01, SLF Building, Singapore 298135³⁰. Applications can also be made in person at ServiceSG centers including Bukit Canberra, Our Tampines Hub and One Punggol²⁹. Family members can go further: a family exclusion order can be applied for to stop a relative from gambling, and it covers Singapore Pools online betting among other activities³¹. Organizations with a Corppass account can even facilitate group self-exclusion applications for their employees or members, with the individual's consent mandatory²⁸.

At Dafabet, self-exclusion works through the operator's own process, and its terms carry a warning worth reading: during the self-exclusion period you must not attempt to open new accounts, and Dafabet accepts no responsibility or liability if it fails to recognize or determine a self-exclusion request in circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including a new account opened by telephone or under a different name or address²¹. In other words, the offshore operator's safety net is only as strong as your own discipline, which is one clear difference from the regulated system at home.

If gambling is causing problems for you or someone close to you, call the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1800-6-668-668, or contact the NCPG at 6354 8154³². Our gambling help in Singapore page lists the full range of services, and our casino exclusion and visit limits page explains the casino-side equivalents of the tools described here.