The latest survey showed that 4D and Toto were most popular, with 30 per cent of respondents betting on 4D and 29 per cent on Toto. - Photo: ST
SINGAPORE: Fewer people in the Republic gambled, but they are spending more doing so, and more are also turning to illegal gambling online.
Four in 10 Singapore residents gambled at least once in the past year, in the latest edition of a survey of over 3,000 people to gauge the extent of gambling here.
This is the lowest figure since the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) survey, conducted once every three years, was first done in 2005.
But the median sum spent on gambling bets went up to $25 a month in the 2023 survey, from $15 in the 2020 survey.
And, those who gambled illegally online also rose from 0.3 per cent of respondents in the 2020 survey to 1 per cent in the 2023 survey, according to the survey released on Nov 28.
Billy Lee, executive director of Blessed Grace Social Services, pointed out the actual prevalence of Singaporeans gambling online illegally is likely to be higher than the 1 per cent who said they did so in the NCPG survey.
He said: “When people do illegal things, of course they wouldn’t reveal it. They don’t want to be found out.”
Clinical director of We Care Community Services Tham Yuen Han added that those who gamble illegally are also unlikely to take part in such surveys.
The NCPG survey polled 3,007 Singapore residents – Singaporeans and permanent residents – aged 18 and older to find out key trends about gambling, including the prevalence of problem gambling, here.
The 2023 survey found that 40 per cent of respondents took part in at least one form of gambling activity in the past year, down from 52 per cent in the 2017 survey and 44 per cent in the 2020 survey.
In the 2005, the figure was 58 per cent.
The most popular games in the latest survey were 4D and Toto, with 30 per cent of respondents betting on 4D and 29 per cent on Toto.
In the 2023 survey, 69 per cent of respondents bet less than once a week, while the rest bet once or more than once a week.
The probable pathological and problem gambling rate remained stable at 1.1 per cent in the 2023 survey, similar to the figure in the 2020 edition.
Pathological gambling indicates a more severe addiction compared with problem gambling.
Masagos Zulkifli, Minister for Social and Family Development (MSF), said in a statement: “The decrease in the overall gambling participation rate of Singapore residents, coupled with the low problem gambling rate, indicates that our social safeguards continue to be effective.”
The social safeguards to limit Singaporeans’ access to gambling services include the casino entry levy, where Singaporeans and PRs have to pay $150 a day to enter the casino.
Families can also apply to bar their loved ones who have a gambling problem from the two casinos here, jackpot machine rooms at private clubs, and betting online through Singapore Pools.
The NCPG spokesman said the falling percentage of Singapore residents gambling over the years could reflect the influence of multiple initiatives, such as the extensive public education campaigns on the ills of problem gambling and the social safeguards put in place.
The spokesman added that the increase in the number of people who have gambled illegally online could be “due to the ease of access of online gambling, and personal views that gambling is a leisure activity”.
The NCPG, which is set up to address problem gambling, said an average of about 11,000 people a year sought help over the past three years.
We Care’s Tham said they are seeing younger and more educated gamblers seeking help.
About 10 years ago, most problem gamblers would be men in their 40s and 50s with secondary education. Over the last five years, We Care is seeing more men in their early 20s and 30s with tertiary education, she said.
Many of these addicts gamble illegally online on football matches, counsellors said.
Counsellors who work with gambling addicts said one main draw that illegal gambling websites offer is that they allow gamblers to bet on credit, instead of forking out the sum upfront. These sites usually also offer them free credits to entice them to start an account.
Addicts who are barred from gambling, say in the casinos here, may also turn to illegal online sites, counsellors add.
Blessed Grace and We Care said they are seeing an increase in the number of people who seek help to stop gambling and to find ways to repay their debts.
For example, Blessed Grace has 339 people seeking help in 2023, up from 274 in 2022.
Lee said: “When they hit rock bottom and no one would lend them money to pay their debt, then they would come for help. By the time they come to us, they are deep in debt and their relationships and marriages have been very affected.”
These help-seekers usually have debts of at least $100,000, Lee said, often owed to a mix of legal and illegal moneylenders.
Counsellors caution that it is easy to get hooked on online gambling for a variety of reasons.
“The same factors that drive internet addiction – convenience, accessibility, anonymity – fuel illegal online gambling behaviour,” Tham said.
Lee added that some gamblers tried to quit after losing all their money, but they could not do so. “The illegal operators would tell them they still have credit (to play), so this triggers them again. It’s so difficult to get out.”
The rise in illegal online gambling poses a real challenge, noted Tham. This is especially when the online gambling industry is projected to grow exponentially.
She added: “While Singapore has done well putting in place responsible gaming and safety measures to mitigate the risks of casino gambling, it is timely to focus more attention to address the risk of illegal online gambling as well.”
The NCPG spokesman said it would work with its partners to strengthen public education efforts to raise awareness about illegal online gambling and its lack of responsible gambling measures.
Since 2015, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Gambling Regulatory Authority have blocked over 3,800 illegal gambling websites, over 270 bank accounts and more than $36 million in payments linked to illegal online gambling services, the NCPG spokesman said.
In 2023, the police arrested more than 450 people for illegal gambling activities, of which one-third of the arrests were made for illegal online gambling.
Those who need help can call the National Problem Gambling helpline at 1800-666-8668. - The Straits Times/ANN
