Singapore Pools mistakenly paid out double winnings to around 3,000 customers after a technical issue disrupted its systems for several hours earlier this week, while about 13,000 bets were not recorded at all.
The incident occurred on the morning of February 11, when the operator’s IT infrastructure was unavailable between 6am and 9am. During that three-hour window, bets placed online and at retail outlets failed to register properly in the central system.
According to the company, affected customers whose bets were not captured will receive refunds of their original stakes. In cases where punters can provide proof of a winning bet placed during the outage, the operator has said it will honour the payout. Online account holders will be contacted directly, while retail customers have been advised to reach out via the official hotline for assistance.
Double payouts triggered by system disruption
In a separate but related issue, approximately 3,000 successful bets were settled twice, resulting in duplicate winnings being credited to customers’ online accounts. Singapore Pools confirmed that it is now in the process of notifying those involved and working to recover the excess sums that were incorrectly disbursed.
The total value of the mistaken payouts has not been disclosed. It is also unclear how long the recovery process may take, especially in cases where funds have already been withdrawn.
The organisation stressed that the disruption was not linked to any cyber attack. It added that no customer data was compromised and that its systems are now operating as usual.
Refunds and customer support underway
Efforts are ongoing to identify all affected customers. The operator has expressed regret over the inconvenience caused and said it is focused on resolving outstanding cases as quickly as possible.
As Singapore’s sole legal provider of lottery, sports betting and horse racing services, Singapore Pools generates revenue from popular games such as Toto, 4D, the Singapore Sweep and various sports wagering products. Any operational hiccup can therefore have wide-reaching implications, particularly as more customers shift towards digital betting platforms and cashless payment methods.
The disruption also comes amid broader scrutiny of transaction-related practices in the sector. Earlier discussions have centred on administrative fees tied to certain digital payment options, highlighting how system reliability and transparent financial processes remain key concerns for customers.
This is not the first time technical issues have affected its services. In 2020, users of the online Toto Quick Pick function encountered software glitches on two separate occasions.
With digital participation continuing to grow, robust IT infrastructure and secure online betting systems will be critical to maintaining public trust. For now, customers impacted by the February 11 outage are advised to check their accounts carefully and retain any receipts or digital records to facilitate claims and verifications.