October is annual report season for Singapore's Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA), and this year's report came with headlines. All three of Singapore's licensed gambling operators were fined, the regulator changed how casinos get marketing approved, and the number of locals visiting the casinos fell again. Here is what happened in the first half of October 2026, and what each story means if you gamble in Singapore.
Quick Context: Who Regulates Gambling in Singapore?
A short refresher helps make sense of this month's stories. Since August 2022, the Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) has regulated all forms of legal gambling in Singapore. It took over from the old Casino Regulatory Authority when the Gambling Control Act came into force. In practice, there are three licensed operators locals deal with:
- Marina Bay Sands (MBS) and Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), the two integrated-resort casinos, governed mainly by the Casino Control Act.
- Singapore Pools, the only legal operator for lotteries such as 4D and TOTO and for sports betting, both at outlets and online.
Separately, the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) runs the exclusion and visit-limit system, and the GRA checks that operators enforce it. Online casinos run from overseas are not licensed in Singapore. When an operator breaks the rules, the GRA can fine it, and the details usually come out in its annual report each October. That is exactly what happened this year.
1. GRA Fines Singapore Pools, MBS and RWS a Total of S$275,000
The biggest story of the month. In its 2025/26 annual report, released on 6 October, the GRA disclosed fines against all three licensed operators. The penalties were widely reported on 9 October by The Star and The Straits Times (republished by Stomp).
| Operator | Fine | Breach |
|---|---|---|
| Singapore Pools | S$100,000 | Allowed a self-excluded person to place bets, breaching its licence conditions under the Gambling Control Act |
| Marina Bay Sands | S$100,000 | Gave extra draw chances in a non-gaming membership programme linked to casino play (2018 to 2023) without GRA approval |
| Resorts World Sentosa | S$75,000 | Incorrectly maintained casino membership tiers under an approved programme (March 2022 to June 2023) |
The Singapore Pools case
Singapore Pools found the problem itself in April 2024, during a monthly review of suspended accounts. A self-excluded customer's account had not been suspended, so the person could still bet online. The cause was a system gap: when a customer updated their identity documents, the system did not re-check their exclusion status. Singapore Pools said the account was suspended within 30 minutes of detection and the gap has been fixed.
The casino advertising cases
Both casino fines fall under the Casino Control (Advertising) Regulations, which tightly control how MBS and RWS can promote gambling. MBS's breach came to light while the GRA was investigating other allegations. RWS reported its own membership-tier errors, which it blamed on its application system, and took corrective steps.
What it means for players
- Exclusion is enforced, and operators are punished when it fails. If you have self-excluded, the system is supposed to block you everywhere it applies, and the regulator treats gaps seriously.
- Keep your details consistent. The Singapore Pools lapse was triggered by an ID document update. If your NRIC, FIN or citizenship changes, tell NCPG so your exclusion follows you.
- Casino perks are regulated. Promotions tied to gambling at the casinos need GRA approval. That protects locals from aggressive "play more, get more" marketing.
If you want to understand how exclusion works, our new casino self-exclusion guide covers every option.
2. Background: The Auditor-General Flagged Bigger Gaps in July
The fines did not come out of nowhere. In July 2026, the Auditor-General's report for FY2025/26 found that 120 excluded persons had entered MBS and RWS, and that 79 Singapore Pools accounts held by excluded persons had not been closed.
A follow-up government statement on 4 August 2026 said 32 of those account holders placed 1,358 online bets totalling S$75,800 while excluded, between April 2024 and December 2025. The causes were system-related, such as data migration errors and missing screening logic, and were fixed by February 2026. Investigations into the 32 individuals are ongoing, because excluded persons who knowingly gamble can themselves face penalties.
For players: an exclusion is a legal order, not just an operator setting. Trying to get around it is an offence, and since 21 September 2026 the bar for liability is lower (see story 5 below).
3. GRA Introduces a Casino Marketing Phrase Whitelist
Also from the annual report: the GRA now keeps a whitelist of approved marketing liners and uses a streamlined process for lower-risk advertising and promotion applications, as reported by AGBrief on 8 October. Casinos can reuse pre-approved wording without asking for approval each time.
The change was one of 40 efficiency projects in FY2025 that together saved more than 2,600 staff hours. The report also confirmed that the licences of Marina Bay Sands and Singapore Pools were renewed after the GRA found they continued to meet its standards.
For players: very little changes in practice. The rules on what casinos may say have not been loosened; the regulator is just spending less time re-approving the same phrases. Combined with the MBS and RWS fines, the message is that marketing to locals remains tightly controlled.
4. Fewer Singaporeans Are Visiting the Casinos
The number of Singapore citizens and permanent residents who visited the casinos fell 3.2% in 2025, to about 91,000 people, according to the annual report (via GGRAsia and iGamingToday).
| Year | Local casino visitors | Share of adult population |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 104,000 | – |
| 2024 | 94,000 | 2.8% |
| 2025 | 91,000 | 2.7% |
It is the third straight yearly fall since the post-Covid peak. The number of annual entry levy holders was steady at around 6,700. Locals still pay a S$150 daily or S$3,000 annual entry levy, unchanged since 2019. The GRA's casino licence fee income rose to S$66.5 million in FY2025/26, according to Focus Gaming News.
For players: the levy and the exclusion system are doing what they were designed to do, which is keep casual local visits low. If you do visit, budget the levy into your night out; it is a fixed cost before you place a single bet.
5. Tougher Casino Control Rules Now in Force
Just before October, on 21 September 2026, the second tranche of the Casino Control (Amendment) Act 2024 took effect, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs. The key points for players:
- Lower bar for exclusion offences. An excluded person is now liable if they know, or ought reasonably to know, that they are excluded.
- Family Visit Limit breaches are now an offence, in line with other exclusion orders. AsiaOne reports penalties of up to S$10,000 or one year in jail.
- No gaps when orders change. NCPG can now swap an Exclusion Order for a Visit Limit (or the reverse) immediately, removing a one-to-two-month gap in protection.
- New cheating offences for withdrawing a bet after the result is known, and for recording non-card games.
- Electronic credits can now be casino chips, and the GRA can approve gaming software on mobile devices for use inside the casinos.
- Casinos must share patron data with each other to fight money laundering and terrorism financing.
Around Asia
- Macau: September gross gaming revenue fell 1.2% year on year to MOP18.06 billion, the lowest month of 2026 and the fourth monthly decline in a row. Year to date, revenue is still up 3.2% at MOP187.1 billion (ASGAM).
- Thailand: authorities blocked 945,075 gambling-related URLs in fiscal 2026 (October 2025 to September 2026), as reported by AGBrief. Gambling remains largely illegal there.
Both stories reflect a regional trend: tighter controls on online gambling and softer demand at land-based venues. Singapore, too, blocks unlicensed gambling sites; our explainer on geoblocking and licensing covers why.
What Singapore Players Should Take Away
- Exclusion is getting stricter on both sides Operators are fined for letting excluded people bet, and excluded people face a lower bar for liability. If you are excluded, do not try to get around it.
- Keep your ID records current If your ID or citizenship changes, update NCPG so your safeguards still apply.
- Treat casino offers with care Promotions at MBS and RWS must be GRA-approved. Be equally careful with offers from any online site, and read the terms.
- Use the safeguards early Visit limits, self-exclusion and the NCPG helpline (1800-6-668-668) are free. See our responsible gambling page for more.
We will keep tracking regulatory changes that affect Singapore players. For lottery players, our guides to the TOTO prize structure and TOTO odds and System bets are also new this month.