​Singapore, 23 May 2023 – Singapore Pools reaffirmed its commitment to positive social impact in an initiative to convert 15,000 square feet of its retail space for social service agencies to use on a rent-free basis, today. Announced by Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies, this comes after a successful trial at the Majestic Smart Seniors Applied Learning Centre in partnership with RSVP Singapore The Organisation of Senior Volunteers. At its 55th anniversary celebration held at Gardens by the Bay today, Singapore Pools also launched Community with a Heart, a year-long fundraising effort with a target of S$1.5 million.

Pass It On – through deed or resources

Since 2007, more than 8,000 square feet of space at Singapore Pools branches have been converted to community use under its Community Housing Scheme which provides social service agencies space to house their operations, on a rent-free basis. Some agencies who have benefited from this scheme include Caring Fleet, Personalised Love, and Unlocking ADHD.

At the Majestic Smart Seniors Applied Learning Centre, located in the heart of Chinatown, Singapore Pools also teamed up with RSVP Singapore to carve out the space as a learning centre for seniors to pick up digital skills.

In a latest effort, Singapore Pools will be converting 15,000 square-feet of space at its Bukit Merah branch, the largest single space it has set aside for community use.

The Community with a Heart fundraising campaign will galvanise the support of Singapore Pools’ network, to raise funds in support of Community Chest and other beneficiaries. At Singapore Pools’ retail network, the public can pledge their support for one of four causes through an interactive community wall (please see Annex A) at selected branches or by scanning a QR code. There, they can ‘plant’ the flower of their choice, corresponding to the cause that they champion, to build a verdant virtual garden.

In August 2023, Singapore Pools’ signature annual executive football fundraiser Football with a Heart will return on a larger scale at the Sports Hub, involving charities and the general public in a carnival-like atmosphere. The tournament not only brings together corporate partners and celebrity teams for a friendly game of football, but also to do good with Singapore Pools to raise funds for selected beneficiaries.

This fundraiser is just the latest effort for Singapore Pools, since its founding in 1968 to share resources and funds with communities in Singapore. The organisation’s culture of making a positive social impact is reflected in its consistent passing on of 97% of every one dollar to benefit Singaporeans by diverting demand away from illegals and to support a wide array of community and infrastructural projects in Singapore.

Beyond funds, the Singapore Pools’ staff are regularly involved in community events and devote hours to volunteerism as part of the organisation’s community outreach efforts. In fact, Singapore Pools kicked off 55 years of giving with a large-scale Community Day involving nearly 300 beneficiaries, which was supported by 400 staff volunteers earlier this month.

Mr Kai S. Nargolwala, Chairman of Singapore Pools, said “Creating positive social impact is at the core of what we do at Singapore Pools. We continuously and creatively innovate to deter customers from turning to illegal online and offline gambling and instead bet in a safe environment. We never stop reminding customers to play responsibly, with tools and safeguards in place. Most importantly, we share and pass on our resources to the community – whether in the form of helping charities to digitalise through iShine Cloud, or by providing resources like much needed space for charities to operate from, staff volunteers to bring cheer or assistance, as well as funding support.”