Withdrawing a bet after the result of a game is known and recording non-card games such as slot machines are now criminal offences under the latest tranche of amendments to Singapore’s Casino Control Act to come into effect this week.
As of 21 September 2026, the CCA also makes an excluded person liable for entering, remaining or taking part in casino gambling if it is proven that they know or should reasonably know that they are an excluded person; boasts strengthened protections for family groups; and includes new requirements for casino operators around ethical behavior, including additional powers for the GRA to act against those that don’t.
Singapore is home to two integrated resorts with casino gaming: Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) detailed the amendments on Monday, which relate to passage of the Casino Control (Amendment) Act 2024 – passed in parliament two years ago.
These include making it an offence to withdraw bets after the result of a game is known.
“Previously, it was an offence for patrons to place a bet in a casino after the result is known but not an offence to withdraw a bet after the result is known, and the police have had to use provisions in other laws to deal with such cheating cases,” the MHA said. “This right-sites the provisions under the CCA.”
It is also now an offence to record non-card games, with the MHA stating, “Previously, it was an offence to use a device to record cards dealt in the course of gaming. However, the police have encountered cases of patrons who attempt to cheat the casinos by recording play patterns of non-card games (e.g. gaming machines). The Act expands the current offence to cover the recording of non-card games.”
Changes to exclusion orders include criminalizing any breach of a Family Visit Limit, bringing this in line with existing rules around breaching an Exclusion Order by Law, Third Party Exclusion Order, Third Party Visit Limit or Family Exclusion Order. The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) will also now be able to immediately replace an existing Exclusion Order or Visit Limit with a new Visit Limit or Exclusion Order, removing a previous one- to two-month hang-time during which the individual was not protected by any safeguards.
On expanded suitability criteria for casino operators, the MHA said it can now consider a raft of new operational practices when assessing suitability to hold a casino licence. These include whether the casino operator conducts its business in a manner which is unethical or which will bring discredit to casino gambling in Singapore and whether there has been a systemic deficiency or failure in the casino operator’s internal controls or corporate governance.
The GRA is now empowered to take disciplinary action against a casino operator if it assesses the casino operator’s suitability to hold a casino licence is affected due to breaches of those criteria.
The Casino Control Act also now require the casino operators to share information of patrons with each other for the purposes of tackling money laundering, terrorism financing and proliferation financing. This aims to allow the casino operators to take swifter action when a patron is found to pose a higher risk of money laundering, terrorism financing or proliferation financing.
“Taken together, these amendments will keep Singapore’s casino regulatory framework robust and responsive to emerging risks, uphold the integrity of casino operations, and strengthen safeguards against gambling-related harm,” the MHA said.
RelatedPosts
