Singapore Probes GemBet’s Local Payment Network

An overseas online gambling platform has reportedly been accepting bets from players in Singapore on FIFA World Cup matches, with deposits and withdrawals processed through locally registered businesses using PayNow. The platform, known as GemBet, operates Singapore-focused web addresses that appear to direct users into a payment network involving three companies established earlier this year.

Local Businesses Linked to Payment Processing

According to an investigation by The Straits Times, betting deposits and winnings are handled through three Singapore-based companies incorporated in 2026. These businesses include a manpower services firm registered on 3 March, a cleaning company incorporated on 29 April and a wholesale trading business established on 29 May.

Users accessing GemBet through Singapore-specific URLs are redirected to the platform’s primary website. After creating an account, players must open a digital wallet that supports funding through cryptocurrency or PayNow. Customers selecting PayNow are instructed to transfer money to one of the three local companies before using the balance for betting.

Corporate records from the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) show that all three companies are registered to Housing Board residential addresses. Reporters who visited those locations on 15 July found residents living there, although nothing at the premises suggested a visible connection to the listed businesses.

Platform Markets Itself to Singapore Users

GemBet presents itself on its website and social media as a Singapore-founded sports betting brand that began operations in 2020 before relocating to Malaysia in 2022.

The operator also promotes partnerships with well-known football names, describing itself as the official Southeast Asian betting partner of Athletic Bilbao while featuring AC Milan midfielder Luka Modric as its brand ambassador.

The platform appears to specifically target Singapore customers. It provides YouTube tutorials explaining how to fund accounts through DBS Bank, while its Facebook page was launched in January this year. Its X account, created in December 2022, lists the United Arab Emirates as its location and its mobile application is distributed through the Apple App Store in Bulgaria.

GemBet is operated by Grand Complications NV, a company incorporated in Curaçao. Corporate records indicate the business has registered more than 1,900 domain names over time, including numerous GemBet-related variations. One of those domains was registered just one day before the FIFA World Cup kicked off on 11 June.

Customer Support Responds to Questions

When contacted through the platform’s live chat by The Straits Times, a customer service representative claimed that Singapore residents could legally use the service. The representative also stated that the local companies handling PayNow transactions were legitimate partners of GemBet.

However, no additional explanation was provided regarding the relationship between those businesses and the operator. Questions concerning the number of Singapore users or betting volumes were declined, with the representative describing the information as confidential. Shortly after the conversation, the account created by the newspaper was suspended.

Authorities Continue Enforcement Efforts

Data from online analytics platform Semrush showed that GemBet attracted nearly 50,000 website visits worldwide during June, while Singapore authorities continue to strengthen action against illegal remote gambling.

Official figures show that Singapore Pools recorded S$12.7 billion in lottery, sports betting and horse racing turnover during the 2024/25 financial year. In contrast, betting through unauthorized websites such as GemBet remains illegal and can result in significant penalties.

Individuals found placing bets through prohibited gambling platforms may face fines of up to S$10,000, imprisonment of up to six months or both. Those involved in operating or facilitating illegal gambling systems can receive fines of up to S$500,000 and prison sentences of up to seven years.

Enforcement agencies have also intensified their efforts. On 9 June, the Gambling Regulatory Authority, together with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Social and Family Development, blocked more than 3,400 illegal gambling websites, froze over 260 bank accounts and disrupted financial transactions exceeding S$36 million linked to unlawful remote gambling. A further nationwide operation on 6 July led to the arrest of 17 individuals and the seizure of more than S$720,000 in cash, alongside mobile phones, computers and other gambling-related equipment.