Abuse of public courts? Hosts say they are providing a service by selling badminton playing slots to those looking for a hit

Feeling frustrated over the uncertainty of balloting for public badminton courts, Ms Yeo who is an avid player decided to join a badminton group in the hope of getting to play her favourite sport consistently. 
Before this, the 51-year-old and her friends found it hard to book just one court for their friendly game. Then, after she joined the group, she was shocked to find that there were middlemen offering games at various school halls and sports centres on multiple days throughout the week.
The senior business development manager, who declined to give her full name as she is concerned about backlash from the group, was appalled by the “high fees” charged for some of these sessions. 
Hosting several two-hour sessions daily across most days of the week, one such third-party organiser charges players S$8 to S$10 each to cover court fees and shuttlecock costs – rates that Ms Yeo considers “too high”.
A two-hour badminton game during peak hours should cost around S$4 to S$5 a player, covering court booking fees and the average use of four to five shuttlecocks for each session.
“It’s very sad. The group of people I usually play with has disbanded … I’ve stopped trying to ballot for courts. Now, I have to pay S$10 to play with strangers,” she said. 
“It’s simply not right to profit from organising games on taxpayer-funded courts.” 
Badminton players told CNA TODAY that booking public courts through ActiveSG is difficult even with the allocation of slots now being randomised under the new balloting system launched this year. The system replaced the previous “fastest fingers first” method in a bid to make court access more equitable for all players. 
ActiveSG is the national movement for sport spearheaded by statutory board Sport Singapore (SportSG), and that includes the provision of certain activities and facilities.
With players unable to secure slots consistently, many turn to online platforms such as Facebook, Telegram and Meetup, where fellow badminton players organise games among strangers and charge fees ranging from S$4 to S$12 for each player to book two-hour sessions at public courts.
Some players are questioning whether these sessions constitute profiteering from public facilities.
ActiveSG’s court prices range from S$3.50 to S$7.40 an hour for Singapore citizens and permanent residents, depending on the time.  
A group of six friends booking directly would pay around S$1.10 to S$2.50 each to share a court for two hours. Including the cost of four to five shuttlecocks a game, the total would come to around S$5 for each person – far less than what is charged by some hosts, which commonly costs S$10 and more.
Checks by CNA TODAY on the platforms found that some posts did not specify prices or the number of players. The players are asked to message certain people directly, stating that pre-payment is required.
It is also unclear if the “host” who organises the session would even appear on the court to play. Players who have attended such games said that the host does not show up most of the time.
CNA TODAY spoke to eight badminton players who expressed frustration at what they perceive as opportunistic behaviour. 
They said that given the pains to secure public courts, resorting to hosted games is usually their only option.  
Mr Ethan Wong, a 27-year-old strategic communications manager, likened organisers who charge higher rates and overcrowd courts to “concert scalpers” who resell tickets at exorbitant prices. 
“For example, going by a rate of S$10 per player, seven people per court means that the host earns at least S$70. Even if the host claims it’s about covering costs, it’s still profiteering,” Mr Wong added.
“I think there needs to be some regulation in place – at least some form of enforcement or verification. It’s clear some (of these hosts) are opportunistic.”
Adding to the grievances, players said that some organisers prioritise maximising profits at the expense of the playing experience, including being stingy with new shuttlecocks and allowing more than six players a session. 
Student Raphael Tan, 22, said that he once arrived at a game only to find that seven players would be sharing one court.
“I was annoyed. The standard practice is six players per court. That way, there’s a nice rotation of four people playing while two rest at any given time.”
In a written parliamentary reply last March, Mrs Josephine Yeo said that more than 600 bookings had been cancelled for “on-selling activities”. 
The Minister for Communications and Information at the time said this in response to a question about the abuse of government-linked online booking systems, such as for SportSG facilities and the resale of reservation slots.
The ministry reported then that about 200 ActiveSG accounts had also been suspended since 2021 over the suspected use of bots to book sports facilities. 
SportSG has also stepped up enforcement measures on-site. A booking may be cancelled if the person who booked the slot is not present and part of the playing part, the reply stated. 
It is unclear, however, if organisers who book courts and then sell individual slots to other players are considered an “on-selling activity” as these organisers provide the opportunity for people to play with others if they are unable to find hitting partners, with shuttlecocks provided.
In response to CNA TODAY’s queries on whether hosting and selling slots for ActiveSG courts are allowed, SportSG said it was aware that there are members of the public who resell bookings. 
“SportSG regularly monitors daily booking records, social media platforms and activity logs to identify individuals attempting to profiteer by reselling ActiveSG courts or fields or individual playing slots,” it added.
“SportSG has also stepped up on-site checks to verify the presence of hirers. Offenders will have their bookings cancelled.” 
Deterrent actions, including suspension or termination of accounts, have been taken against users engaging in errant behaviour.
“Since the launch of MyActiveSG+ in July this year, 49 accounts have been suspended, are pending suspension or are under investigation due to misuse through scripting (in relation to bots) and on-selling. Of these 49 accounts, 31 were due to scripting. 
“SportSG urges members of the public to refrain from purchasing slots from resellers taking advantage of these subsidised facilities for personal gains.” 
MyActiveSG+, the newly launched web-based booking platform, is designed to tackle issues such as bots and provide all users with an equal chance to secure peak-hour slots through a balloting system.
Non-peak-hour slots and unassigned peak-hour slots after the balloting period are available on a first-come-first-served basis.
Out of the 20 hosts CNA TODAY approached, four replied. The rest declined participation or did not reply. 
Those who replied said that various considerations are made before deciding on how to split up the cost for each player. Factors considered include peak-hour and non-peak-hour rates, the shuttlecocks used during a game, and the effort it takes to “mobilise manpower” to ballot for courts together to increase chances of success. 
A host, who wanted to be known as just Mr Chua, 28, said that the balloting system has made securing public courts for his group more difficult. However, he declined to give the full details when asked how he still successfully offered playing opportunities at different courts.
“I can only say that it is just badminton players who want to play will ballot the slots together. Sometimes, family members help, too,” he said.  
Mr Chua added that he did not “find anything wrong with it” because he is providing a service for players, and it is not easy to book the courts at good times. 
“Some people may dislike hosts who profit, but on the other hand, some people struggle to find others to play with them. That’s why they join games hosted by others.” 
Ms Licya Hu, organiser of a badminton club, said that she holds such sessions five to six days a week because her group has more than 1,800 members. 
“Everyone says balloting is difficult, but since we have a large group, I have more than 30 members who can help, which increases our chances,” she said. 
Off-peak weekday games organised by her group typically costs S$7.90 a player and weekends are S$9.90, slightly less than the S$8 for off-peak and S$10 for peak period that other groups charge. The games would have six players to a court including herself, she added.
The costs are usually shared for court, shuttlecocks and membership fees. For example, a Meetup membership fee is around S$40 a month for event organisers.
“The biggest cost is the shuttlecocks, which vary in price. We usually use RSL Supreme, the most common brand in Singapore, which costs about S$30 to S$32 for a tube,” Ms Hu said.
“After covering the costs of courts, shuttlecocks and membership fees, we may have a few dollars left, which we save for our own competitions or overseas badminton trips to Malaysia.”  
Ms Hu said that she understands the concerns about hosts potentially profiteering, but she strongly discourages such behaviour within her group, adding that her priority is to provide a good playing experience, not profit. 
“When players join groups they’re not familiar with, they should ask three important questions: How many people will be on each court, how much will it cost, and which shuttlecock brand will be used?
“These factors can affect the quality of the game. I know that some hosts try to profit by using low-quality shuttlecocks for S$15 to S$20 a tube and not being transparent with players.” 
To address these complaints, Ms Hu suggested the possibility of an official badminton hosting programme by ActiveSG.
“They could hire volunteers or create a system for organising badminton games. This could provide a better experience for players and ensure transparency.”
Another host in his 20s who called himself Mr Z, saying he wanted to remain lowkey, told CNA TODAY that he hosts games just two to three times a week and does not earn much from them.
He also ensures transparency by publishing his rates, allowing players to compare prices.
A key variable in his cost calculations is shuttlecock usage. Players who smash too hard during his hosted games tend to go through them quickly, occasionally resulting in a small loss for him.
“At the end of the day, it is like an open market. Willing buyer, willing seller. If you don’t want to pay too much, you can walk away and look harder for alternative options.”