Singapore police launched a week-long enforcement operation in late May, arresting 30 individuals suspected of illegal online gambling and related financial crimes. This group included 21 males and 9 females, with ages ranging from 17 to 79, nearly spanning three generations. The police have frozen about 19,000 Singapore dollars (approximately 14,000 US dollars) of suspected illegal proceeds. From gamblers to "money mules" to the criminal syndicates behind the scenes, every link in this gray industry chain was exposed during this operation.
From betting to money laundering: 5 people gambling, 25 people selling accounts
The Criminal Investigation Department's Special Crime Division led this operation from May 21 to 29. The 30 suspects were divided into two categories: one group consisted of gamblers who placed bets through unlicensed online gambling platforms, transferring funds to bank accounts controlled by criminal groups. They are under investigation under Section 20 of the 2022 Gambling Control Act—dealing with unlicensed gambling operators can lead to a fine of up to 10,000 Singapore dollars, six months in prison, or both. Simply put, not only is operating a gambling house illegal, but participating in betting privately is also crossing the line.
The bigger trouble lies with the other 25 individuals. These people are suspected of selling or handing over control of personal or corporate bank accounts to criminal groups. Some suspects even misled banks into opening accounts, then handed over the account credentials to unknown third parties. This operation involves multiple legal regulations: unauthorized access or disclosure of national digital identity credentials (Singpass) under the 1993 Computer Misuse Act can lead to up to three years in prison and/or a fine; fraud under the Penal Code also faces up to three years in prison and/or a fine; and money laundering under the 1992 Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act can lead to up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to 500,000 Singapore dollars (approximately 387,000 US dollars). Selling an account could result in a "starting from ten years" sentence, a calculation that is clearly not worth it.
Regulations continue to tighten: From legislation to banning Polymarket
Looking at the timeline, Singapore's regulatory framework for gambling has been systematically tightening in recent years. The 2022 Gambling Control Act is a key tool targeting the infiltration of offshore online gambling platforms into the local population. PASA's official website also noted that the Singapore Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) will directly ban the prediction market platform Polymarket in 2024—recently, users trying to access the platform received a violation warning, reminding them that they may face a fine of up to 10,000 Singapore dollars, six months in prison, or both.
The police specifically urge the public not to transfer control of personal or corporate bank accounts to others and encourage those who detect suspicious access activities to report them immediately. At the same time, the police also reiterated the support resources provided by the National Council on Problem Gambling for gambling addicts. Ultimately, this is not just an enforcement action, but also a public boundary declaration: in Singapore, the cost of illegal gambling is becoming increasingly high.
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This article is from "PASA-Global iGaming Leader" gambling industry news channel:https://t.me/pasa_news
Original in-depth gambling channel:https://t.me/gamblingdeep
Free data report: @pasa_research
PASA Matrix: @pasa002_bot
PASA official website: https://www.pasa.news
