SINGAPORE, July 20 — A loophole in Singapore Pools’ betting app has allowed some users to place wagers while overseas, raising concerns in the region where countries, including Malaysia, have restrictions on remote gambling.
The loophole appears to work through Singapore telco roaming connections, with users reportedly able to place bets while travelling in countries like Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan and China, according to news outlet CNA.
The Singapore-based news agency said its tests during the recently concluded World Cup found that users in the United Kingdom and Italy were able to place bets through the app while connected through Singapore mobile data roaming.
Singapore Pools users are not allowed to place bets while overseas, said the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Singapore (GRA).
“GRA requires that Singapore Pools implement measures to ensure users can only place bets with Singapore Pools while they are in Singapore,” it was quoted as saying.
The Singapore regulator added that any potential non-compliance would be assessed based on the relevant facts and circumstances.
The loophole appears to work because some mobile roaming connections can make overseas users appear to be accessing the internet from Singapore.
Professor Chan Mun Choon of the National University of Singapore’s Department of Computer Science said telecommunications providers may route roaming traffic through Singapore, resulting in users being assigned a Singapore IP address despite being abroad.
He said operators may need to consider additional safeguards, such as using device location data, to confirm where users are physically located.
Singapore Pools said its online betting services are intended solely for local use and that it has geofencing measures to restrict access from overseas locations.
It added that account holders must be Singapore residents or valid Foreign Identification Number holders, and accounts found breaching its terms and conditions may be frozen, suspended, terminated or closed.
Why it matters for users in the region
The issue could raise concerns for users who place bets while overseas, especially in countries where remote gambling is restricted.
Malaysia, Indonesia, China and Saudi Arabia are among countries with restrictions on remote gambling, although the legal implications would depend on the laws of the country where the user is physically located.
Legal experts said operators would need to show they had taken reasonable steps to prevent overseas betting, such as using location restrictions, monitoring for circumvention and taking action against accounts that breach their rules.
They said terms and conditions alone may not be enough if safeguards are ineffective.
“The key issue would be whether those measures were genuine and reasonably effective, rather than whether circumvention was technically impossible,” Singapore law lecturer Ben Chester Cheong told CNA.
Singapore Pools launched its app in 2018, allowing users to place bets on lottery draws and sports competitions including football, motor racing and horse racing.
The operator said it would continue reviewing and strengthening its safeguards as technology evolves.
