Founded on 23 May 1968 in a time when triads and illegal gambling syndicates were rampant, singapore pools was established to provide safe and trusted betting for citizens. Today, the company has a diverse roster of games and services including online lottery, sports betting, and remote gaming. It also provides social protection and problem gambling support. In addition, the company gives back to the community by channeling a minimum of $2 billion in taxes and duties to the government and Tote Board annually.
Its core business is to enable people to enjoy the thrill of winning through legal gambling and to enhance lives by providing financial security and opportunities for recreational activities. With an ever-increasing number of Singaporeans leading busy lifestyles, it has become essential for the company to adopt digitalisation and bring its products closer to the consumer.
To this end, the company rolled out its first online platform in 1999, allowing people to buy tickets and bet on games and events from their homes. Currently, Singapore Pools has over 1.7 million registered members and offers multiple ways for customers to bet, deposit and withdraw money. These options include bank links, eNets, cash deposits at its branches and withdrawal forms that can be submitted online and filled in-person. The company has also partnered with third-party payment providers to enable its customers to bet using different currencies.
In order to remain competitive and meet the demands of its customers, the company has adopted a strategy of continuous innovation, driving the adoption of new technology in all areas of the organisation. To this end, it has partnered with Collective Campus to empower its employees by equipping them with the skills they need to innovate in their roles and develop solutions for future challenges. This partnership allowed the company to deliver two one-day tech crash courses for over 40 employees, covering ideation methods and key innovation tools.
The company is also committed to promoting responsible gambling and prevents gambling addiction through education and advocacy. The organisation has a dedicated team to help gamblers understand their gambling habits and manage their betting activities. It has also launched a self-exclusion programme that allows people to voluntarily ban themselves from gambling on Singapore Pools accounts. Those who have banned themselves will not be able to access their account or win any funds. The number of self-exclusions on online accounts increased by almost 80 per cent in 2022 compared to the previous year. Counsellors ST spoke to attributed this increase to the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions in many countries, which resulted in more football matches to bet on.
The company’s employees have also taken a pro-active approach in supporting the broader community, with over 97% of its revenue channelled to charities and communities. In the past decade alone, the company has contributed over $5 million each year on average to various community programmes and projects. In recognition of their efforts, the company was awarded a ‘Company of Good’ in the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Awards 2024.