SINGAPORE – In what he described as the lowest point in his life, a cyber-security specialist stole a few thousand dollars from a savings account meant for his daughter so that he could keep gambling.

The 35-year-old, who only gave his surname as Mr Sow, peeped to find out his wife’s password to the account under her name. “I stole the money to top up my betting account,” he said.

He had lost at least $500,000 from soccer matches since getting addicted to illegal gambling sites in his teens, and ended up owing both legal and illegal moneylenders.

Still, the father of three young children continued. “I was betting every day – in the toilet, at work, and on the bus or train.”

A National Council on Problem Gambling survey of over 3,000 Singapore residents aged 18 and older found that more people, like Mr Sow, have gambled on illegal online sites.

The percentage of those who said they have done so rose from 0.3 per cent in the 2020 survey to 1 per cent in the 2023 poll.

However, the probable pathological and problem gambling rate remained stable at around 1.1 per cent of those polled in the 2023 survey, which was released on Nov 28.

Pathological gambling indicates a more severe addiction compared to problem gambling.

Mr Sow started betting on soccer matches at the age of 15. Two years later, he was introduced by friends to illegal online gambling sites.

He was given $500 of free credit when he started his first account with the illegal operators, and quickly became hooked to the thrill of winning and making a fast buck.

Besides soccer, he also placed bets on other games such as basketball and ice hockey.

“There is no need to pay upfront,” he said, of playing on credit. “You only pay when you lose. It’s convenient, and I could gamble 24/7. It was a no-brainer for me.”

At his peak, he placed up to $5,000 on a single soccer match.

But the losses started to pile up, and his decade-plus gambling addiction was tearing his life apart.

The stress of his debts left him often unable to focus at work, and he would often take medical leave to “escape from work”. He also frequently flew into a rage.

He lied repeatedly to borrow money from his loved ones, besides stealing money meant for his daughter.

He tried to stop and sought help from two groups to kick the habit, but that did not work. Deep down, he was not ready to give up chasing back his gambling losses then, he admitted.

He said: “My parents and I were not on talking terms as I was always asking them for money. They even asked my girlfriend if she wanted to carry on with the wedding.”

His mother wanted to disown him, though his girlfriend stood by him and they got married.

The turning point came when the loan sharks harassed his wife and his in-laws told him he had to stop gambling for good.

He went to Blessed Grace Social Services to seek help seven years ago. 

In his first year in their support group for gamblers, he relapsed twice, but other members encouraged not to give up.

“Everyone has shunned me previously,” he said. “But at Blessed Grace, I could feel the love from other members of the group, and they don’t judge me for what I have done. And that gave me hope.”

Mr Sow added that his Christian faith also helped him turn over a new leaf. He has not gambled for six years now.

He said: “The marketing on these illegal sites are really addictive. Once you have no money, they will give you free credit just to keep you hooked.

“At the end of the day, you can’t win the house.”