Singapore Pools app under fire over overseas betting loophole
A reported loophole in the Singapore Pools mobile app has raised fresh questions about the effectiveness of its location controls after users were able to place bets from outside Singapore despite rules requiring all betting to take place within the country.
The issue was uncovered by Channel News Asia (CNA), which successfully placed bets through the Singapore Pools app while in the United Kingdom and Italy during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
CNA also spoke to seven users who said they had experienced the same issue while travelling in countries including Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan and China. According to the report, users were able to place bets using roaming mobile data from Singapore telecommunications companies.
The Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) said users are not permitted to place bets with Singapore Pools while overseas. “GRA requires that Singapore Pools implement measures to ensure users can only place bets with Singapore Pools while they are in Singapore,” the regulator said. It added that any potential breach would be assessed based on the relevant facts and circumstances.
Singapore’s current Gambling Control Act, which replaced the Remote Gambling Act in 2022, allows regulators to take action against licenced operators that fail to comply with licence conditions. Penalties can range from written warnings to licence suspensions of up to six months, fines of up to S$1 million ($774,700), or licence revocation.
No restrictions on VPN usage
According to CNA’s findings, the loophole appears to work only when users connect via roaming data services offered by Singapore mobile operators. The app continues to block access when users connect through overseas Wi-Fi networks, displaying a message stating that Singapore Pools’ online betting service is only available within Singapore.
Singapore Pools said its online betting platform is intended solely for local use and that geofencing measures are already in place to restrict overseas access. The operator also said account holders must be Singapore citizens, permanent residents or valid Foreign Identification Number holders before they can use its betting services.
Platform to review issue
The company added that placing bets from overseas breaches its terms and conditions. Accounts found doing so may be frozen, suspended or closed. “As technologies evolve, we will continue to review and strengthen our safeguards to prevent improper use of our app,” Singapore Pools said. However, the operator did not directly address the specific roaming data issue identified in CNA’s investigation.
Cybersecurity experts believe the explanation lies in how mobile roaming traffic is routed. Professor Chan Mun Choon from the National University of Singapore’s Department of Computer Science said roaming data can sometimes be routed through Singapore, making users appear to be connecting from within the country even when they are physically overseas.
Legal experts, meanwhile, have a different take on the development. According to them, the Gambling Control Act primarily places the responsibility on licenced operators to meet regulatory requirements. Since Singapore Pools is a licenced operator, the provisions relating to betting with illegal gambling operators would not apply in this situation.
The findings are likely to prompt closer scrutiny of existing geofencing measures, as evolving mobile technology continues to create new ways for users to bypass location-based restrictions designed to keep online gambling within national borders.
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