PUBLISHED ONJune 05, 2026 3:08 AMBYLim KeweiHooked on an online gambling app, a maid in Singapore repeatedly stole cash from her employer's two children to continue playing.
The kids are aged 11 and 12, and the stolen money was made up of their Chinese New Year ang bao as well as savings, reported Shin Min Daily News.
Myanmar national Mai Aye Su Naing, 27, was sentenced to 10 months jail on Wednesday (June 3) after pleading guilty to the charge of theft.
She committed the crime this February at a residence in Queen Astrid Park on Holland Road, court documents seen by AsiaOne stated.
According to Shin Min, Mai came across a casino slot game on Facebook in early February. To begin playing, she needed to deposit Myanmar Kyat into the game account.
The domestic helper, who had been working for her employer since March 2025, subsequently stole $1,000 in cash kept in a box belonging to the children.
A fellow countryman then helped her exchange the currency and deposit the sum into her account.
When Mai lost the games, she took another $13,600 from the box over the next few days, reported the Chinese publication.
She also found six ang baos given to her employer's children, and stole another $5,400 from there, leaving $100 behind in each envelope.
The crime came to light on Feb 27 when the children discovered their cash was missing and told their mother.
The maid reportedly admitted to the theft and was arrested by the police.
Mai also claimed that she had won the slot games several times but could not withdraw the proceeds as her gambling account was purportedly frozen, according to the report.
In court, she apologised to her employer's family and said she was unable to pay compensation.
The woman also said she wished to return to Myanmar as soon as possible.
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lim.kewei@asiaone.com
