Singapore Pools (Private Limited), established three years after Singapore achieved independence, had two primary aims when established: combat illegal gambling activities while offering people who gamble a safe and trusted place to do so. Their founders understood that prohibiting all forms of gambling would only push it underground into triad-controlled hands or bookmakers.
As an alternative, the company took an pragmatic approach – providing people who want to gamble with a safe and trusted channel, while channelling any excess profits back into society via charities rather than funnelling it back to crime syndicates that perpetuate crime and violence in society.
Singapore Pools has evolved from being a state-owned lottery operator into a leading digital gaming organisation, offering products such as Toto, Singapore Sweep and 4D. Furthermore, their offerings now encompass online sports betting and mobile gaming platforms.
The company has also collaborated with the government in an effort to educate the public on responsible gambling through education campaigns and an addiction helpline for those experiencing gambling problems. Furthermore, they partnered with the National Council on Problem Gambling in providing counselling services for gamblers and their families.
Recently, the company has taken an innovative step in encouraging volunteering as part of its corporate social responsibility initiatives by creating the iShine Volunteers app, designed to facilitate volunteering experiences for Singaporeans across both iOS and Android phones. Downloadable now!
Singapore Pools, as a digital-first organization, has taken advantage of cloud technology to enhance efficiencies and provide its customers with a better experience. By employing Oracle Cloud Observability and Management software to reduce resolvability times from hours to minutes and minimize outages during high demand periods.
Yeo’s team has also taken proactive steps to respond to the changing workforce landscape by offering staff the option of working remotely as needed, which has increased productivity and efficiency while increasing cyber security risks – particularly among older staff unfamiliar with remote work – though the company continues to address them.