SINGAPORE: A regular with the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) who was addicted to football betting agreed when a fellow campmate asked if he wanted to place illegal bets on 4D, TOTO and football matches.
He later took up an offer to run an agent account and took bets from fellow RSAF regulars and colleagues to make money, placing S$876,000 in bets on football and basketball games himself.
For his crimes under the Remote Gambling Act, 30-year-old Koh Jia Liang was sentenced on Tuesday (Nov 23) to 11 months' jail and a fine of S$5,000.
He pleaded guilty to three charges of facilitating the participation of others in remote gambling as an agent and gambling using remote communication. Another two charges were considered in sentencing.
The court heard that Koh was an RSAF regular, with the rank of 1st Sergeant, at the time of the offences in 2017 and 2018.
He met his co-accused when they were both with the air force and stationed at Lim Chu Kang Camp 2, becoming close friends.
In early 2017, Koh developed an avid interest in football betting and would place 4D and TOTO bets weekly, the prosecutor said.
His co-accused, who was not named in court documents, approached him in 2016 and said he was working as an illegal bookie. He asked Koh if he wanted to place illegal 4D, TOTO and football bets with him, and Koh agreed as he was addicted to gambling.
The co-accused opened a player account on an unidentified illegal remote gambling website for Koh, which he used to place bets on football games until January 2018.
The co-accused later directed Koh to shift his personal bets to another website, saying it would be 10 per cent cheaper that way. Koh did so, and also helped three others place their bets through this account, keeping 5 per cent of their winnings for himself.
In January 2018, the co-accused asked Koh to introduce friends who were interested in football betting to him. He offered Koh the chance to run an agent account, assuring him that he would profit from it because the punters' odds of losing are higher than their odds of winning in the long run. The greater these punters' losses, the greater Koh's profits, the co-accused said.
Koh took up the offer to assist his co-accused, and split the profits and losses with him as he was tempted by easy money, said the prosecutor.
The co-accused set up an agent account for Koh. Koh would receive 80 per cent of the bets placed and lost by the punters he introduced, while 20 per cent would go to the co-accused.
Koh set up three player accounts for his colleagues, fellow RSAF regulars, who gambled by placing illegal bets on football or basketball games across various leagues.
If they lost, Koh would collect their losses in cash or via bank transfer. If they won, Koh would pay them their winnings. This was done on a weekly basis, while Koh would meet his co-accused once a week and hand over 20 per cent of the profits, or collect 20 per cent of the winnings to be paid to his successful punters.
He roped one of his fellow RSAF regulars in by asking him about upcoming football games in the English Premier League when they were stationed in camp together. This man later placed bets totalling S$101,321 on football and basketball games through Koh.
A second man who was stationed in Koh's camp approached Koh to see what he was doing on his phone, and realised that Koh was placing bets on football games.
Koh then asked if this man was interested to place bets, and helped place a total of S$21,274 in bets on football games for this campmate.
Koh placed a total of S$876,096 in bets himself on football and basketball games on the illegal website between July 2018 and November 2018.
Koh managed at least seven other player accounts. By the time he was arrested, these accounts had zero credit limits as they were abandoned by the punters.
Koh was arrested in November 2018. His co-accused had told him to reply "I do not know" if he was ever questioned by the police, because the police would purportedly not be able to do anything if he denied everything.
However, Koh decided to cooperate with investigations in the hope of keeping his job. He also went against his co-accused's instructions to regularly delete the messages they exchanged, as he wanted proof in case he was "played out".
Koh admitted to investigators that he had made profits from facilitating the remote gambling, but the precise quantum could not be determined. The co-accused is being dealt with separately.
The prosecutor on Tuesday asked for a jail term of between 11 and 13 months' jail and a fine of S$5,000.
Defence lawyer Amarick Gill asked for a jail term of between nine and 10 months' jail instead, adding that the S$5,000 fine asked for by the prosecution would suffice.
Mr Gill said his client, who is currently employed as a creative designer, is remorseful and came clean at the earliest opportunity, despite what his co-accused had asked him to do.
Koh cooperated with the police and has no prior convictions, said Mr Gill.
For facilitating remote gambling, Koh could have been jailed up to five years, fined between S$20,000 and S$200,000, or both per charge.
For gambling using remote communication, he could have been jailed up to six months, fined up to S$5,000, or both.
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He later took up an offer to run an agent account and took bets from fellow RSAF regulars and colleagues to make money, placing S$876,000 in bets on football and basketball games himself.
For his crimes under the Remote Gambling Act, 30-year-old Koh Jia Liang was sentenced on Tuesday (Nov 23) to 11 months' jail and a fine of S$5,000.
He pleaded guilty to three charges of facilitating the participation of others in remote gambling as an agent and gambling using remote communication. Another two charges were considered in sentencing.
The court heard that Koh was an RSAF regular, with the rank of 1st Sergeant, at the time of the offences in 2017 and 2018.
He met his co-accused when they were both with the air force and stationed at Lim Chu Kang Camp 2, becoming close friends.
In early 2017, Koh developed an avid interest in football betting and would place 4D and TOTO bets weekly, the prosecutor said.
His co-accused, who was not named in court documents, approached him in 2016 and said he was working as an illegal bookie. He asked Koh if he wanted to place illegal 4D, TOTO and football bets with him, and Koh agreed as he was addicted to gambling.
The co-accused opened a player account on an unidentified illegal remote gambling website for Koh, which he used to place bets on football games until January 2018.
The co-accused later directed Koh to shift his personal bets to another website, saying it would be 10 per cent cheaper that way. Koh did so, and also helped three others place their bets through this account, keeping 5 per cent of their winnings for himself.
In January 2018, the co-accused asked Koh to introduce friends who were interested in football betting to him. He offered Koh the chance to run an agent account, assuring him that he would profit from it because the punters' odds of losing are higher than their odds of winning in the long run. The greater these punters' losses, the greater Koh's profits, the co-accused said.
Koh took up the offer to assist his co-accused, and split the profits and losses with him as he was tempted by easy money, said the prosecutor.
The co-accused set up an agent account for Koh. Koh would receive 80 per cent of the bets placed and lost by the punters he introduced, while 20 per cent would go to the co-accused.
Koh set up three player accounts for his colleagues, fellow RSAF regulars, who gambled by placing illegal bets on football or basketball games across various leagues.
THE BETTING ARRANGEMENTS
If they lost, Koh would collect their losses in cash or via bank transfer. If they won, Koh would pay them their winnings. This was done on a weekly basis, while Koh would meet his co-accused once a week and hand over 20 per cent of the profits, or collect 20 per cent of the winnings to be paid to his successful punters.
He roped one of his fellow RSAF regulars in by asking him about upcoming football games in the English Premier League when they were stationed in camp together. This man later placed bets totalling S$101,321 on football and basketball games through Koh.
A second man who was stationed in Koh's camp approached Koh to see what he was doing on his phone, and realised that Koh was placing bets on football games.
Koh then asked if this man was interested to place bets, and helped place a total of S$21,274 in bets on football games for this campmate.
Koh placed a total of S$876,096 in bets himself on football and basketball games on the illegal website between July 2018 and November 2018.
Koh managed at least seven other player accounts. By the time he was arrested, these accounts had zero credit limits as they were abandoned by the punters.
COOPERATED WITH POLICE DESPITE BEING TOLD NOT TO
Koh was arrested in November 2018. His co-accused had told him to reply "I do not know" if he was ever questioned by the police, because the police would purportedly not be able to do anything if he denied everything.
However, Koh decided to cooperate with investigations in the hope of keeping his job. He also went against his co-accused's instructions to regularly delete the messages they exchanged, as he wanted proof in case he was "played out".
Koh admitted to investigators that he had made profits from facilitating the remote gambling, but the precise quantum could not be determined. The co-accused is being dealt with separately.
The prosecutor on Tuesday asked for a jail term of between 11 and 13 months' jail and a fine of S$5,000.
Defence lawyer Amarick Gill asked for a jail term of between nine and 10 months' jail instead, adding that the S$5,000 fine asked for by the prosecution would suffice.
Mr Gill said his client, who is currently employed as a creative designer, is remorseful and came clean at the earliest opportunity, despite what his co-accused had asked him to do.
Koh cooperated with the police and has no prior convictions, said Mr Gill.
For facilitating remote gambling, Koh could have been jailed up to five years, fined between S$20,000 and S$200,000, or both per charge.
For gambling using remote communication, he could have been jailed up to six months, fined up to S$5,000, or both.
Continue reading...