Walk into Marina Bay Sands or Resorts World Sentosa with a Singapore NRIC and you will be asked to pay before you reach the gaming floor. Walk in with a foreign passport and you will not. That difference is the casino entry levy, one of the most distinctive features of Singapore's gambling rules, and one that many players only learn about at the door.
This guide explains what the levy is, who pays it, what it costs, how it differs from the exclusion and visit-limit schemes, and what it means if you are weighing a night at an integrated resort against playing online. Figures and rules are summarised from public sources and can change, so confirm them with the operator or the regulator before you go.
What the Entry Levy Is
Singapore has two licensed casinos, both inside integrated resorts: Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa. Under the Casino Control Act, Singapore citizens and permanent residents must pay a levy to enter them. Foreign visitors do not.
The purpose is stated plainly by the authorities: to discourage casual and impulse gambling by locals while still allowing the resorts to attract tourists. The levy is a deliberate barrier. It is not a deposit, it does not become playing credit, and it is not refunded if you leave without placing a bet.
Who Pays and Who Does Not
| Visitor | Entry levy? | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| Singapore citizen (21+) | Yes | NRIC; pay the daily or annual levy |
| Permanent resident (21+) | Yes | NRIC; pay the daily or annual levy |
| Foreign tourist (21+) | No | Original passport |
| Anyone under 21 | Not admitted | No exceptions |
Two points are worth stressing. First, the minimum age for Singapore's casinos is 21, higher than the 18 that applies to many online brands elsewhere. Second, foreigners are generally asked for their original passport rather than a photocopy or a photo on a phone. If you are a work pass holder living in Singapore, you are in the foreign category for this purpose, but check the operator's current wording before travelling.
How Much It Costs
For citizens and permanent residents, the levy is currently S$150 for a 24-hour pass or S$3,000 for an annual pass. The figures have been in place since 2019 and have been in the news since: the 2019 order was set for five years, and when it lapsed in April 2024 the levy briefly reverted to the old lower rates before Parliament amended the Casino Control Act to restore and fix the higher amounts. Our October 2026 news roundup notes that the authorities have not signalled a further increase.
The daily levy runs for 24 hours. Marina Bay Sands states that a purchased daily levy is activated at the earlier of your first entry or six hours after purchase, so buying it long before you arrive can waste part of the period. Check the exact activation rule where you buy, because it is set out in the operator's terms rather than in a single national rule.
Daily or annual: a simple break-even
Divide the annual figure by the daily figure and you get 20. If you expect to enter the casino on more than 20 separate days in a year, the annual pass costs less per visit. If you expect fewer, the daily pass is cheaper. For most people, the honest answer is that the annual pass is rarely worth it, and anyone who finds themselves running the numbers on it should ask whether their visits are still a leisure choice. The levy exists partly to make that question unavoidable.
The Levy Is Not the Only Cost
A fair comparison includes more than the S$150. A realistic evening at a land-based casino also involves:
- Travel and incidentals. Transport, parking, food and drink at a resort can add up quickly.
- Minimum table stakes. Live tables usually carry minimum bets that are higher than many online tables, so a small budget may not stretch far.
- House edge. The levy is paid on top of the expected cost of play. If you stake S$500 over an evening on a game with a 2% house edge, the expected loss is about S$10, but you have already paid S$150 to sit down. The edge itself is the same arithmetic we describe in our guides to baccarat and Sic Bo.
None of this means a casino visit is poor value if you treat it as entertainment with a known price. It does mean the levy changes how you should think about a "small" session: you have paid a fixed fee before the first hand is dealt.
Levy, Exclusion Order, Visit Limit: Three Different Things
The levy is often confused with the other two safeguards. They are separate, and they are administered differently.
| Safeguard | Who sets it | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Entry levy | Legislation; paid by the visitor | Charges citizens and PRs per visit or per year |
| Exclusion order | Self, family or a third party, via the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) | Bars a person from the casinos and certain other gambling products |
| Visit limit | Self or family, via the NCPG | Caps the number of casino visits per month |
The NCPG says a family exclusion order applies across the casinos, jackpot machine rooms in private clubs and Singapore Pools online betting accounts. Eligible applicants include spouses, children, parents and siblings, and the person named is notified. Visit limits are available only to Singapore citizens and permanent residents. Our guide to casino self-exclusion in Singapore walks through how to apply for yourself.
The levy does not stop anyone who is willing to pay. An exclusion order does. If gambling has started to cause harm, the second is the tool that works.
Does the Levy Apply Online?
No. The entry levy is a feature of the two physical casinos. It has no equivalent for an overseas-licensed website, which is exactly why the comparison matters. The online route has no door fee, no travel and no closing time, but it also lacks the physical friction that the levy was designed to create. That is a genuine trade-off, and we cover it in online gambling vs traditional casinos.
It is also important to be clear about the legal position. Singapore's Gambling Control Act restricts remote gambling, and the casinos' licences do not extend to offshore operators. Our online gambling in Singapore overview sets out what the law says, and what a player should weigh before registering with any overseas brand. If you do decide to play online, use the checks in our guide to spotting a trusted online casino and read the independent reviews on our casino reviews hub first.
Practical Tips if You Visit
- Check the rules on the day Confirm the current levy, accepted ID and any entry conditions on the operator's official website before you travel.
- Bring the right ID NRIC for citizens and PRs, original passport for foreign visitors. Photocopies are generally not accepted.
- Set a total budget that includes the levy Decide what the whole evening may cost, entry fee included, and treat that figure as already spent.
- Pick a game by edge, not by atmosphere Low-edge bets such as baccarat Banker or Big/Small in Sic Bo cost less per hour than most side bets and slots.
- Leave at your time limit The levy can tempt you to "get your money back". That is the sunk-cost trap; the levy is gone whatever happens next.
A Note on the Sunk-Cost Trap
Economists call it a sunk cost: money already spent that cannot be recovered. A S$150 levy feels like a debt to be recouped, and that feeling pushes people to bet more, or stay longer, than they planned. No game's odds change because you paid to get in. The fee is a cost of the visit, and the only sensible response is to include it in your budget and walk away at the limit you set beforehand.
Responsible Gambling
Gambling is a form of paid entertainment, not a way to earn money, and every game has a built-in house edge that makes losses more likely than gains over time. Only stake what you can afford to lose, set time and money limits before you start, and stop if gambling stops being fun. If you are worried about your own gambling or a family member's, our responsible gambling page lists support services, and the National Problem Gambling Helpline is available on 1800-6-668-668.
Frequently Asked Questions
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For Singapore citizens and permanent residents it is S$150 for a 24-hour pass or S$3,000 for an annual pass. Foreign visitors do not pay. Check the operator or the regulator for the current rate before you go.
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No. Foreign visitors aged 21 or over enter free on presenting their original passport.
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Only if you enter on more than 20 separate days a year, since S$3,000 divided by S$150 is 20. For most people the daily pass costs less, and frequent visits are worth reflecting on in their own right.
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No. The levy is a fee that anyone willing to pay can meet. Exclusion orders and visit limits are administered through the National Council on Problem Gambling and restrict access regardless of payment.
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No, it applies only to the two licensed land-based casinos. Remote gambling is governed separately by the Gambling Control Act.