(AsiaGameHub) – By: Elena Rostova
Singapore’s 2022 Gambling Control Act and 2024 Polymarket ban have failed to curb local demand for offshore online gambling. Regulators face a persistent impasse: cross-border operators face no local legal consequences, so enforcement falls entirely on ordinary residents. Many casual bettors and people looking for quick side income have no idea they are risking steep criminal penalties for small, seemingly harmless actions.
Between May 21 and 29, the Criminal Investigation Department’s Specialised Crime Branch ran a week-long enforcement operation. It identified or arrested 30 suspects aged 17 to 79, including 21 men and nine women, and froze roughly S$19,000 in suspected illicit proceeds. Five suspects face up to S$10,000 in fines or six months in jail for placing bets with unlicensed operators. The other 25 are accused of handing over bank account control to syndicates, facing possible charges under the Computer Misuse Act, Penal Code and anti-money laundering laws that carry up to 10 years of jail time and S$500,000 in fines. No formal charges have been confirmed as of the police’s public announcement.
The current regulatory system can only target downstream users and money mules, not the offshore operators driving demand. Future crackdowns will likely target more end users, as regulators have no other way to stem unlicensed gambling activity. All local residents should avoid unlicensed gambling platforms entirely, and never share bank account or Singpass credentials with any third party.
Author bio: Elena Rostova, a public policy expert specializing in compliance assessments for Southeast Asian government regulatory bodies.