Singapore has scored an own goal with a World Cup anti-gambling ad, which features a crestfallen boy telling his friends his dad bet his life savings on Germany – who reached the finals by thrashing host nation Brazil 7-1.
“Often the people who suffer from problem gambling aren’t the gamblers. Kick the habit. Stop problem gambling,” the National Council on Problem Gambling says in the ad.
The video, which has run every day of the World Cup, went viral on social media soon after the Brazil game ended.
The council could not be reached for immediate comment.
Singapore government ministers, who regularly post comments on topical local issues, were quick with some tongue-in-cheek remarks.
On his Facebook page, the manpower minister Tan Chuan-Jin wrote: “Looks like the boy’s father who bet all his savings on Germany will be laughing all the way to the bank!”
Wrote Teo Ser Luck, another government minister: “Germany beat Brazil 7-1! Brazil need to find out what went wrong and I need to find the scriptwriter for the gambling control advertisement.”
The anti-gambling campaign comes as some Singaporeans have been embroiled in one of the world’s biggest match-fixing scandals. Last year, an inquiry by European police forces uncovered a global betting scam run from Singapore.
Read more: Former Australian Test winger David Williams suspended for gambling
The affluent city-state, known for its strict law and order, has been pulling out all stops to stamp out illegal betting.
Gambling is so entrenched that the government launched the anti-gambling organisation in 2005 – before it allowed two multi-billion dollar gaming resorts to open in 2010.
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