Singapore has introduced tougher casino regulations, with new rules taking effect on Sept 21 that strengthen safeguards for families, tighten controls on casino operators and create additional offences aimed at preventing cheating and other casino-related crimes.
Under the amended Casino Control Act, breaching a Family Visit Limit is now a criminal offence. A Family Visit Limit can be imposed following an application by a family member when a person’s gambling behaviour has caused harm to the family. The limit specifies the maximum number of casino visits allowed each month.
The new measure places Family Visit Limits on a similar legal footing as other exclusion orders and visit restrictions. Singapore’s National Council on Problem Gambling can also replace an existing exclusion order with a visit limit, or a visit limit with an exclusion order, without the previous waiting period between safeguards.
The latest changes also target casino cheating. It is now an offence to withdraw a bet after the outcome of a game is already known. Previously, the law specifically prohibited placing a bet after the result was known, but did not directly address withdrawing an existing bet under the same circumstances.
Authorities have also expanded restrictions on recording casino games. The offence, which previously focused on recording cards dealt during gaming, now covers recording non-card games such as gaming machines. The change follows cases in which authorities said patrons attempted to use recorded play patterns to facilitate cheating.
People who are subject to casino exclusion orders face tighter accountability as well. An excluded person can now be liable for entering, remaining in or gambling at a casino if they know, or reasonably should know, that the restriction applies to them.
The amendments also give the Gambling Regulatory Authority broader grounds to assess whether a casino operator remains suitable to hold a licence. Regulators can consider unethical business practices, conduct that could bring discredit to casino gambling, and systemic failures in internal controls or corporate governance.
Singapore is also preparing its casino framework for newer forms of gambling technology. Electronic credits will be prescribed as casino chips under new regulations, allowing the regulatory framework to accommodate forms of cashless gaming. The government said cryptocurrency will not be allowed to be used as casino chips because of money-laundering risks.
The changes apply to Singapore’s two integrated resorts with casinos, Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa.
Taken together, the amendments broaden Singapore’s approach to casino regulation — covering not only what happens on the gaming floor, but also family-related safeguards, emerging payment technology, cheating methods, money-laundering risks and the internal controls of casino operators.
