Why Singapore Pools Do Not Offer The Asian Handicap Bet

Without trying to implicate anyone, we all would have friends who are interested in the current Euros and Copa America tournaments happening, as well as football games in general.

A portion of these interested fans are also involved in gambling. According to a Straits Times article, a total of $8 billion was spent on gaming in 2015. And this does not include illegal betting activities, including betting syndicates and foreign online gaming sites.

This is a staggering amount given the two local casinos rake in less than this total combined. This is also probably one of the reasons the Singapore government does not allow Singaporeans to enter the casinos without paying a $100 entry fee. If gambling were so frowned upon, tougher measures could have been placed on people who turn to Singapore Pools.

What is Asian Handicap?

Asian Handicap is when punters “eat” and “give” “balls”. For example, if you take a superior team such as France over a team such as The Republic of Ireland, you’d have to “give” 1 “ball”. This means the game starts at an invented scoreline of France 0; Republic of Ireland 1 – with the underdog given an invented advantage. So if the real game ends with France winning by a single goal, the invented scoreline would be France 1; Republic of Ireland 1, and thus the punter would have drawn his bet – without a winning or losing any money.

It’s a bit technical and requires some amount of betting to get understand the lingo.

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Why Singapore Pool Does Not Offer this?

There’s a reason it’s called the “Asian Handicap” – because it’s very popular in Asia. So it’s interesting Singapore Pools does not offer it. There could be several reasons – we explore a few.

#1 This method is designed to offer the fairest and most transparent bets

When bookmakers offer “Asian Handicap” bets, they tend to offer almost equal chances of winning for both sides. So whether you choose to “eat” or “give” “balls”, you should have almost equal chances of winning and losing, thus you’re relying on your knowledge or assumptions to predict a winner.

This is of course contrary to what the “House” wants to happen. Singapore Pools, being the only “House” Singaporeans can use to legally bet, would not offer this because they’d be at a disadvantage.

#2 More chances of winning

Betting in this method only involves two options – “eat” or “give” rather than three options with the way Singapore Pools currently offers it. In this method, there is a greater chance of a payout.

#3 Since it’s the only “House”, it can do what it wants

Not entirely. But think of SingTel as the only telecommunications provider. Sure, the government will regulate it or keep an eye on it, but without true and fair competition, can any price offered be the lowest possible? Do you trust monopolies to offer you the best possible deals?

#4 It’s a little more costly and hasslesome, since there’s a chance of a refund

Yes, there’s a chance for a refund that would make the bet less profitable and more operationally costly to offer, given the manpower and other resources put into offering that bet. Basically the shoe-leather cost in economic terms.

In Ending

Of course, the main draw for betting on Singapore Pools is that they will never pack up shop and “run”.  At the end of the day, a friendly wager between friends, at Asian Handicap bets, seem to make the most sense and offer the most thrill for non-serious gamblers.

Read Also: How to Protect Yourself When Trading Forex

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