As Singapore gained independence in 1965, illegal gambling was rampant. But its new government quickly realized that imposing a blanket ban like Prohibition would drive gambling activities underground and fill triads’ coffers. Instead, Singapore Pools was established – providing safe and trustworthy environments for people who bet. Profits generated are then channelled back into charitable initiatives rather than directly benefitting illegal bookmakers or triads.

Singapore Pools currently boasts more than 300 branches and authorized retail outlets across Singapore, offering lottery games such as Toto, 4D and Singapore Sweep as well as sports betting on association football matches, motor races and horse races. Their recent financial year’s turnover exceeded $12 Billion.

Yeo’s initial priority was to revamp customer touchpoints, which had previously primarily relied on counter service and in-person interaction with customers. He and his team implemented digital channels as well as mobile applications enabling customers to onboard, manage accounts and bet online.

The team also provided forums for staff to voice their opinions, comments and suggestions regarding new initiatives. In doing so, the organisation could quickly identify and incorporate the best ideas into its ongoing strategy. Singapore Pools established iShine Cloud in 2018 in response to COVID-19 issues where many charities struggled to access additional capacity needed for data storage needs. iShine Cloud provided other charities with affordable and integrated cloud-based IT solutions designed specifically for charity use and improved productivity governance and efficiency – this proved especially important during those difficult months when data needs surged dramatically!