MANY tech-savvy gamblers here are taking their habit online, but they may not realise it is illegal.
Placing bets with operators not exempted from the Betting Act and the Common Gaming Houses Act is an offence, and they could be fined up to $5,000 and jailed for up to six months.
The only two legal operators here - Singapore Pools and the Singapore Turf Club - do not provide online gambling facilities.
Still, based on a recent survey by the Ministry for Community Development Youth and Sports, the participation rate for online gambling has risen tenfold - 1per cent of 2,300 people polled said they gambled online, up from just 0.1per cent in 2005.
Popular sites include United Kingdom-registered online operator betfair.com, which, besides sports betting, also has casino games like blackjack.
Even if Singapore credit cards are not be accepted, gamblers get around it by using bank transfers or third parties. For instance, they set up online accounts with sites such as Moneybookers.com, then use these accounts to gamble.
Mr Suresh Anantha from the Institute of Mental Health's Community Addictions Management Programme said that some go online to stay anonymous.
Going online is also popular with the young and tech-savvy, counsellors said. One online gambler, for example, is just 21 and places her sporting bets online as it is convenient. She said: 'You can do it anywhere, at any time...You don't have to keep calling a bookie.'
But Mr Suresh warned: 'People need to understand that though they may have the occasional win, over the long term, they will lose money. That is how all gambling games work.'
