Since Wednesday (January 1), Singapore’s police have taken over the work of blocking illegal gambling websites in the city-state, as flagged by the Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) of Singapore in a Tuesday posting on its Facebook page.
The regulator stated in its message to the public: “Thank you for your contributions in reducing the harm caused by illegal gambling websites.”
It added: “From 1 January 2025, the Singapore Police Force will take over the blocking of such websites. Your role remains vital in keeping Singapore safe.”
The posting said that “over 3,800 illegal gambling websites have been blocked since 2015”.
It added that “more than 145,000 payment transactions” had been stopped, amounting in aggregate to SGD37 million (US$27.2 million).
The definitions and offences of illegal online gambling are covered by the city-state’s Gambling Control Act, which came into effect in August 2022. That was at the same time as the GRA took over regulatory responsibilities previously covered by the former Casino Regulatory Authority, and added some fresh ones.
