9 arrested for suspected involvement in illegal gambling platform GemBet

SINGAPORE – Police have arrested nine people – seven men and two women – suspected to be involved with illegal online gambling platform GemBet.

GemBet, a gambling website based overseas, has been collecting illegal bets on FIFA World Cup matches from punters in Singapore who make transactions via PayNow with local business entities.

The Straits Times on July 18 was the first to report on the platform’s activities.

In a statement on July 25, the police said the suspects, aged between 17 and 55, were caught after an operation conducted between July 22 and 24.

Six suspects were arrested for their suspected roles in setting up business entities and corporate bank accounts, which were believed to have been used by the syndicate operating GemBet to facilitate monetary transactions linked to illegal online gambling activities.

Three other people, acting as runners, were arrested for assisting the syndicate in obtaining these business entities and corporate bank accounts.

The raid involved officers from the Criminal Investigation Department, Woodlands Police Division and Tanglin Police Division.

It covered multiple locations islandwide, including Upper Jurong Road, Jurong West, Punggol, Geylang, Lengkok Bahru and Toa Payoh.

During the three-day operation, the police identified nine corporate bank accounts linked to six shell companies and froze more than $39,000 in suspected criminal proceeds.

Six of the suspects are believed to have used their Singpass credentials to register new business entities with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority and to open corporate bank accounts linked to these entities.

They would later relinquish control of the entities, bank accounts and banking credentials to runners.

Investigations are ongoing against the nine suspects.

Those found guilty of gambling with an unlawful gambling service provider may be fined up to $10,000, jailed for up to six months or both.

Meanwhile, those convicted of knowingly providing fraudulently registered SIM cards to facilitate crime may get fined up to $10,000, jailed for up to three years, or both.

Those convicted of money laundering may get fined up to $500,000, up to 10 years jail, or both, while those found guilty of disclosing national digital identity details can get fined up to $10,000, and/or up to three years jail.

Police reminded members of the public not to misuse their personal or corporate bank accounts, and added that account holders should always retain control and immediately report any suspicious requests to use their credentials or bank accounts.

“Individuals will be held accountable if they allow others to use their accounts for illicit purposes,” the police said.

The raid is part of broader efforts by the authorities to curb illegal betting before and during the 2026 World Cup season.

Between May 1 and July 20, a total of 60 people – 46 men and 14 women, aged between 17 and 79 – were arrested or investigated.

Over the same period, the police also blocked or took down more than 600 illegal gambling websites, mobile applications and social media content promoting such activities.