Fewer Singapore residents gambled, but more doing it online illegally

Survey also finds people are spending more on bets; 4D, Toto the most popular games

- Theresa Tan

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.

Mr 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 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.