Singapore has implemented the second round of changes to its casino regulations, including opening the door to offering electronic credits as casino chips.
In the latest updates to the Casino Control (Amendment) Act 2024 (CCA), the Ministry of Home Affairs said it was seeking to future-proof casino regulation by allowing the Gambling Regulatory Authority to ‘prescribe any instrument or thing to be regarded as casino chips’.
In addition, the Casino Control (Prescribed Casino Chips) Regulations 2026 will be published, allowing electronic credits to be offered as casino chips.
Targeting criminality
Singapore is home to two casinos, the Marina Bay Sands, operated by Las Vegas Sands, and Resorts World Sentosa, operated by Genting Singapore.
To tackle money laundering, the second tranche of the CCA, which came into effect on 21 September, now requires the two operators to share information on patrons.
The Ministry said the mandate will allow operators to take swifter action when a player is deemed to pose a higher risk of money laundering, terrorism financing, or proliferation financing.
The act also makes it a criminal offense to withdraw bets after the result of the game is known, and expands the ban on recording card games to include all non-card games.
Further changes have also strengthened protection against gambling-related harm.
An excluded individual will now be liable for entering a casino if it can be proved that they knew they were an excluded person. Meanwhile, it is now a criminal offense for a player to breach a family visit limit for casinos, providing parity to similar rules for exclusion orders by law, third-party exclusion orders and visit limits.
“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,” said the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The CCA received Presidential Assent in September 2024, and the initial provision came into effect on 30 October.
The changes also come as the sector continues to enjoy strong growth.
According to the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore, tax revenue from the gambling sector is outpacing wider economic growth.
Betting taxes, accounting for gambling duties and casino tax, totaled SG$3.6bn, up 11.9% year-over-year, compared to overall tax revenue collection growth of 9.4% YoY in the 2025 financial year.
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