The government set up Singapore Pools on 23 May 1968, on the one hand to counter illegal gambling activities and on the other to offer people a safe and trusted avenue for betting. Over the years, the company has done both well. Its profit, which is channelled to the Tote Board, funds worthy causes that improve the lives of Singaporeans.

Today, thanks to the introduction of online betting in 2016, we have a lot more data about punters’ spending habits and wagering patterns. The information gathered helps us to better understand what they like to bet on, and how much they tend to spend in the course of a week or month. This is an invaluable asset in our efforts to be a world-class responsible gaming operator, and to help the industry and our players grow responsibly together.

As a public listed entity, we strive to be transparent in our operations and reporting. We are also committed to being a good corporate citizen, and we take our responsibility to care for the welfare of our employees, customers and the community seriously. In this spirit, we have launched a series of initiatives in the past to support our staff and the community at large during challenging times.

In addition to providing a safe and trusted gambling environment, we have also invested significantly in education and outreach programmes for problem gamblers. We will continue to strengthen our efforts in this area, and work with our partners to bring about a safer and fairer gaming industry.

Despite the COVID-19 lockdown, we are happy to report that our online sportsbook and horse racing operations resumed on June 15, two weeks after the end of the Circuit Breaker. We are very grateful to our valued punters for their continued patience and support during this difficult time.

If you are an avid football fan, you will be glad to learn that Singaporepools online sportsbook is now offering live-betting and live streaming. This is a great way to watch live matches without having to leave the comfort of your home. Moreover, the site is compatible with Android gizmos.

We recently sat down with Yeo Teck Guan, the new CEO of Singapore Pools, to discuss change management and the ongoing digital transformation of the state-owned lottery operator. He has been instrumental in driving this strategy, which is transforming the organisation from a legacy business into an agile and digitally empowered enterprise.