Who Sets Casino Game Rules? Statutory Rules and Regulator Approval in Asia

Baccarat statutory rules: payouts under Article 17

If you sit down at a baccarat table in Macau, the payouts you are playing for are not the casino's own invention. They are set out in the statutory rules for the game, and the numbers are specific.

The main bets are simple. A winning Banker bet pays 1 to 1, and a winning Player bet pays 1 to 1. A winning Tie bet pays 1 to 8. The side bets are where the numbers get more interesting: Banker Pair and Player Pair each pay 1 to 11, and the Dragon Seven bet pays 1 to 40¹.

The commission on Banker wins is also fixed. The house takes 5% of the amount won by the Banker on each hand. Some tables offer a no-commission option instead, and in that version a Banker win with 6 points pays 50% of your stake rather than the usual even money¹.

The full list of bets a player can make is set out in the rules as well¹:

• Player
• Banker
• Tie
• Banker Pair and Player Pair
• Dragon Seven
• The progressive jackpot categories A, B and C

That matters practically. If a dealer pays you something different from these figures, you are not arguing about house policy. You are arguing about a published rule, and the pit staff can check it.

One thing to know before you bet: Macau also allows an alternative baccarat schedule in which the Tie pays 14 to 1 under one version and 9 to 1 under another⁸. Those are different games from the standard 1 to 8 Tie, so read the table's own rules card rather than assuming. For a fuller comparison of what the Tie bet pays and how often it wins, see the Tie bet in baccarat.

Progressive jackpot prizes: who fixes the amounts

Progressive jackpots look like the least regulated thing on a casino floor, because the pool grows with every bet. In Macau, the rules for who gets what are fixed in the same statutory way as the base game.

For baccarat's progressive jackpot, the top category pays the full accumulated jackpot amount, shared equally per hand among the winning bettors. Other categories pay fixed amounts set by the concessionaire or sub-concessionaire, also shared equally per hand. One category pays the higher of a fixed amount or a fixed percentage of the accumulated jackpot¹.

The progressive jackpot poker rules follow the same pattern. A royal flush pays either a fixed prize or 100% of the jackpot pool, whichever is higher. A straight flush pays a fixed prize or 10% of the pool, whichever is higher. Four of a kind, a full house and a flush each pay a fixed prize⁹.

There is a rule for ties at the top, too. If several positions hold a straight flush at the same time, each one is paid 10% of the jackpot pool or the fixed prize, whichever is higher¹⁰.

The poker rules also set out conduct that is not allowed at the table, including using any device to record results, make predictions or set betting strategies, and talking to other players or third parties while deciding whether to raise⁹.

For a player, the practical point is that jackpot terms are documented. If you hit a qualifying hand and the payout does not match what you expected, the terms are on file and can be checked.

Singapore's Casino Control Act: what it fixes by law

Singapore takes a different approach. Rather than publishing a paytable for each game, the Casino Control Act fixes the structure of the market and the conditions of entry, and every casino game offered there must first be approved by the Casino Regulatory Authority¹¹.

The most visible fixed rule is the number of casinos. Singapore allows two casinos only². That is not a licensing policy that could quietly change with a new application; it is written into the Act.

The Act also sets the entry rules. A person enters and remains on casino premises only by the license of the casino operator, which is the legal basis on which the operator can refuse or bar entry⁵.

The Gambling Control Act 2022, which covers most other gambling in Singapore, does not apply to casino gambling. Several of its parts expressly exclude gambling carried on within a casino, which remains regulated under the Casino Control Act 2006¹².

For a player, this means the two casinos operate under their own rulebook. If you have a dispute about a game, the casino's own procedures and the regulator that oversees it are the route, not the general gambling law that covers betting shops and online operators.

Entry levy: S$150 a day

The entry levy is the clearest example of a rule that applies differently depending on who you are.

Singapore citizens and permanent residents pay S$150 for every consecutive period of 24 hours, or S$3,000 for a valid annual membership of the casino³. The daily figure was raised from S$100 and the annual figure from S$2,000⁴.

Visitors who are not citizens or permanent residents do not pay the levy. If you are in Singapore on a foreign passport, you walk in without it.

The levy is paid before you enter, and there is a penalty for trying to skip it. A citizen or permanent resident who enters or attempts to enter casino premises without paying can be fined up to S$1,500 and is still liable for the levy itself³.

The levy is charged per casino, so a day pass at one does not cover the other. If you plan to visit both on the same day, budget for two.

Minors and age checks: penalties for players

In Singapore, a minor is anyone below 21 years of age, and a minor must not enter or remain on casino premises or take part in any gaming there⁵. Acceptable proof of age is documentary evidence showing you are at least 21, or evidence the regulator has declared acceptable¹⁵.

The penalties fall on the player, not just the casino. A minor who enters or remains on casino premises commits an offense and can be fined up to S$1,500⁵. Using false evidence of age to obtain entry carries a much heavier fine of up to S$10,000⁵.

There is also a penalty for refusing to cooperate with an age check. If you are asked to state your age, name and address, or to produce evidence of it, and you fail to comply, the fine can be up to S$10,000⁵.

Casino operators have their own duties: they must bar minors, prevent their entry, and may require proof of age².

Macau sets a lower bar. Entry to gaming areas is restricted to people aged 18 and over, and the same rule bars several other groups, including people who are intoxicated or under the influence of drugs, and anyone carrying weapons, explosives or recording equipment¹⁶.

If you look young for your age, carry your passport. In both places, the age check happens at the door, and a document that does not clearly show your date of birth can slow you down or keep you out.

What the law does not cover

Not everything about a casino visit is fixed by statute, and it helps to know where the line sits.

The law fixes payouts, jackpot terms, entry conditions, age limits and the number of casinos. It does not fix how a dealer behaves, how fast a table runs, or whether a pit boss will let you keep playing after a run of losses. Those are operational decisions.

The law also does not cover the practical question of what happens when you think a payout is wrong. There is no statutory formula for that. The route is to raise it at the table while the hand is still fresh, ask for the game's rules to be produced, and escalate to the duty manager if needed. In Macau, the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau supervises casino operations and takes public inquiries. In Singapore, the Gambling Regulatory Authority oversees the two casinos.

One area where the rules are strict and easy to miss: automatic teller machines are prohibited within casino premises in Singapore¹⁷. You cannot withdraw cash inside. Singapore citizens and residents also face restrictions on using credit cards, promissory notes and borrowing from the casino¹⁹.

Exclusion is another area with real teeth. A casino-excluded person who enters or remains on casino premises, or takes part in casino gambling, commits an offense, unless the exclusion is only self-exclusion or a voluntary visit limit⁴. Exclusion orders can be made by the casino operator, the Authority and the Commissioner of Police¹⁸. A third party, such as a family member, can apply for a third party exclusion order or visit limit².

If you want the wider picture of how table games work across the region, start with casino table games in Asia, and for the specific numbers behind the bets, see baccarat odds and house edge.