SINGAPORE: It began with a S$50 (US$37) bet when he was 15 years old.

It then took another two years for Andreas Sow to begin gambling through illegal avenues. The bets grew bigger and bigger as he got deeper into the habit.

Over the course of 15 years, he racked up over S$500,000 in losses.

Mr Sow’s problem got so bad that his entire social circle shunned him. His mother threatened to disown him, and his parents asked his then-girlfriend if she still wanted to tie the knot with him.

“I really tried to quit by my own means. I tried to cut up my ATM card … I just kept on relapsing and relapsing and relapsing. Life had no meaning because I was always broke,” he told CNA.

It was in a support group hosted by Blessed Grace Social Services that Mr Sow found acceptance and encouragement.

While he relapsed twice in his first year there, the 35-year-old now has better control over his vice after five years of having a support system and undergoing counselling.

Life has also taken on new meaning – he is now a father-of-two with another child on the way.

Mr Sow is far from alone.

While the overall gambling rate among Singapore residents aged 18 and above is on a downward trend, illegal online gambling is on the rise, according to the latest survey conducted by the National Council on Problem Gambling.

Illegal online gambling increased by 0.7 percentage points to 1 per cent in the survey released on Thursday (Nov 28), which aligns with rising global trends, said the council.

Of the over 3,000 residents polled, 40 per cent participated in gambling – the lowest rate in 18 years. 4D and TOTO continued to be the most popular types of gambling activities.

SIMILAR TO ALCOHOL, DRUG ADDICTION

According to Blessed Grace Social Services, hearing from ex-gamblers is one way to encourage those trying to kick the addiction.

The non-profit said 50 per cent of its original group have stayed on to spur others to turn their lives around.

Apart from support groups, the organisation also provides counselling and helps to negotiate repayment plans.

It was founded in 2014 by Pastor Billy Lee, who had gamblers going t...