Speech by Mr Heng Swee Keat, Minister for Finance, at Singapore Pools' 50th Anniversary Celebrations on 21 May 2018, 7.45PM at JW Marriott Hotel

Mr Moses Lee

Chairman, Singapore Totalisator Board

Mr Koh Choon Hui

Chairman, Singapore Pools

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.

1. A very good evening. It is a pleasure to join everyone today to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Singapore Pools.

2. Earlier on, I had a nice chat with many people who have benefitted from the work of Singapore Pools and Tote Board. I had the chance to meet Mr Bala Subramanion, Mr Wong Lee Hoong, Mr Tan Boen Eng, and Mr Tan Soo Nam.
   
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3. Games of chance take place everywhere around the world; Singapore is no exception.In the early days in Singapore, before there was Singapore Pools, punters placed bets with illegal operators and were vulnerable to filching, unfair play and other illicit practices. And the profits from these games of chance went only to these illegal operators. For example, old games such as Chap Ji Kee^[1] were popular in back alleys, and illicit mini-casinos sprouted up around the Singapore River and Tanjong Pagar dockyards. At their peak in the 1960s, these operators were estimated to each turn over $300,000 daily, equivalent to over $2 million today^[2]!

4. The question for us then was, recognising that games of chance do indeed take place everywhere, how could we channel the large sums generated out of these games towards uses that could benefit society? In May 1968, Pools was set up as Singapore’s sole legal lottery operator to create a safe space for Singaporeans to participate in a game of chance without being victims of unfair practices; and to allow surpluses to be directed towards meaningful causes for the community.

5. Thus began Pools’ journey in creating positive and meaningful impact in society.

6. Pools’ first contribution was towards the construction of Singapore’s first National Stadium, without which, it might not have been possible given the tight fiscal conditions that Singapore then faced.

7. Since then, Pools has continued to remain relevant and to review its work even as the gaming landscape evolves.

8. Donations and contributions were made even more impactful, when in 2004, Pools became a subsidiary under the Singapore Totalisator Board (Tote Board). This allowed for the pooling of betting revenues from Pools and Turf Club, as well as more focus in grant-making.

9. At the same time as creating a safe and trusted environment for its customers, Pools is working to mitigate the ill effects of gaming, via social safeguards to protect the well-being of punters and their loved ones.

10. In 2012, Pools achieved the highest certification under the World Lottery Association Responsible Gaming Framework, the best standards in the global lottery industry.

11. Much has changed over the last 50 years – gaming preferences have evolved, and the digital revolution is changing business models. Pools is doing well to build capabilities that keep it relevant, while sustaining its philanthropic efforts.

12. With that, I strongly encourage everyone present tonight, corporates and individuals alike, to channel your time, effort, and funds into giving back to our community, to foster a caring and cohesive Singapore.

13. Once again, I express my deepest appreciation for the efforts of Pools over the past 50 years, and I eagerly look forward to seeing much more being done, by our people for our people.

14. Happy 50^th anniversary.

15. Thank you, and have a great evening ahead.

^[1] Chap Ji Kee means “12 cards” in Hokkien.

^[2] This information is cited from an article published in 2012, on National Library’s E-resources titled Chap Ji Kee. This article is intended to highlight the popularity of the Chap Ji Kee lottery game in the 1950s and 1960s in Singapore. Author Alvin Chua had cited materials from the Singapore Police Force’s “Police Life Annual”, articles from academic journals such as the Singapore: Malayan Law Journal, newspaper articles, and books by historians, to support facts and figures quoted in the article.

^[3] TB’s Enabling Lives Initiative (TB-ELI), launched in 2014, is a $30m flagship initiative, spanning 5 years. TB is in partnership with SG Enable and National Council of Social Services (NCSS) to raise awareness of persons with disabilities (PwDs) and support projects that have the potential to make meaningful social impact by bringing together the technical and domain expertise of Social Service Organisations, social enterprises and other organisations. TB-ELI also comprises a public education component – See the True Me Disability Awareness Campaign – which is developed with NCSS. It aims to encourage Singaporeans to recognise strengths of PwDs, with the hope of fostering a more inclusive and caring society in Singapore.

^[4] The ACE Capstone Leadership Programme for Non-Profits is a pinnacle leadership development programme to groom leaders in the non-profit sector. It is jointly developed by Tote Board with the Social Service Institute. It aims to raise overall capabilities in the non-profit sector to enhance service delivery standards for beneficiaries.