Singapore Blocks Almost 4,000 Illegal Gambling Sites, Halts $27M in Transactions

^{Pictured: Kasiviswanathan Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Law}

Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has escalated its fight against illegal online gambling, blocking over 3,800 unauthorized websites and intercepting more than 145,000 illegal transactions worth S$37 million (USD 27 million), as per Next.io.

This effort, in place as of December 31, 2024, aligns with the government’s commitment to safeguarding its residents from illicit gambling operations.

Despite the success, Minister for Home Affairs and Law Kasiviswanathan Shanmugam acknowledged that illegal platforms can reappear quickly.

“Illegal operators can easily create new websites, and we do not have the ability to know of every gambling website,” Shanmugam said.

In response, authorities are urging the public to report suspicious sites, apps, and financial accounts tied to illegal operators.

However, proposals to let families block gambling accounts of at-risk individuals were declined. Shanmugam cited low pathological gambling rates – steady at about 1% – and existing safeguards as sufficient.