Resorts World Sentosa

Resorts World Sentosa casino: what it is and when it opened

Resorts World Sentosa is a large integrated resort on Sentosa Island, just off the southern coast of Singapore. The casino inside it opened in February 2010, and it was the first casino to start operating in Singapore, beating Marina Bay Sands to the punch¹. That timing matters if you are trying to picture the place: it has been running for well over a decade, so the operation is settled and the staff know what they are doing.

The casino is run by Resorts World at Sentosa Pte. Ltd., the company that holds the license for the property⁴. It is not a standalone gambling hall. It sits inside a resort that also holds hotels, a theme park, restaurants and shops, so you can walk from a roller coaster to a roulette table in the same afternoon if that is your plan.

If you are coming from elsewhere in Asia, this is one of the two places in Singapore where casino gambling is legal. The other is Marina Bay Sands⁵. Everything else that looks like casino gambling in Singapore, from private club jackpot rooms to Singapore Pools betting, runs under different rules and different venues.

One of two casinos in Singapore

Singapore keeps casino gambling tight. Only two licenses exist, and Resorts World Sentosa holds one of them⁵. That means there is no competition from smaller casinos, no casino in a shopping mall, and no casino at the airport. If you want table games in Singapore, you go to Sentosa or you go to Marina Bay Sands.

The two casinos share the same rulebook. The same entry levy applies at both, the same minimum age applies at both, and the same exclusion schemes apply at both⁷. So if you have read about how Marina Bay Sands works, the practical details carry over almost exactly. The difference is location and atmosphere: Sentosa is a resort island with a family holiday feel around it, while Marina Bay Sands sits in the middle of the city.

For a wider picture of what gambling is and is not allowed across the country, see Can I Gamble in Singapore?. For the two casinos side by side, Casinos in Singapore: Who Can Go In covers who may enter each one.

Entry levy: SGD 150 a day for citizens and permanent residents

This is the part that catches people out. If you are a Singapore citizen or a permanent resident, you cannot simply walk into the casino. You pay an entry levy first³.

The current rates are:

The daily levy covers a rolling 24 hour window, not a calendar day, so if you pay at 9pm on a Friday it carries you through to 9pm on Saturday⁶. The annual membership is the better deal only if you plan to go often enough to make SGD 3,000 worth it, which works out at 20 daily visits.

The levy is not a tax on winnings and it is not deducted from anything. It is a flat charge to get through the door, paid before you enter. The casino collects it, and it applies at both Singapore casinos, not just this one³.

Foreign visitors pay nothing. Tourists and short term residents can walk in for free, which has been the case since the casino opened¹. If you are on a work pass, a student pass or a dependent pass, you are treated as a foreigner for this purpose, not as a resident. Bring your passport, because that is what proves which category you fall into.

If you want the full breakdown of who pays what and how the payment works, Singapore's Casino Entry Levy: Who Pays and How Much goes through it in detail.

Minimum age: 21 for entry and poker

You must be at least 21 years old to enter the casino². This is not a soft rule. Staff check identification at the entrance, and under 21 means no entry, full stop. The law defines a minor as anyone below 21 for casino purposes, so there is no exception for accompanied minors or for people who look older⁶.

Bring your passport if you are a visitor. A national ID card from your home country may work, but a passport is the document that will never cause a problem at the door. If you are a Singapore citizen or permanent resident, your NRIC is what you will be asked for, and it is also what links you to the entry levy system.

The age rule applies to the whole casino floor, including the poker room. There is no separate lower age for poker or for electronic table games. If you are 21, you are in. If you are 20, you are not, regardless of what you are there to play.

For comparison, this is a higher minimum than some places in the region. Macau sets its casino entry age at 21 as well, while some other Asian jurisdictions allow entry at 18 or 19. If you are traveling with a group and ages vary, check before you plan a casino visit, because the door staff will not bend.

Games and the 15,000 square meter floor limit

The casino occupies 15,000 square meters, which is the maximum area Singapore law allows¹. That cap is why the floor feels full rather than sprawling, and it is also why the layout is dense with tables and machines rather than spread out.

The games you can play, as listed in the operator's own game rules, include⁴:

• Baccarat
• Blackjack and Pontoon
• Dice games
• Poker
• Roulette
• Semi automated electronic table games (ETGs)
• Other games covered by the casino's published rules

That is a standard Asian casino mix. Baccarat is the big draw in this part of the world, and you will find more baccarat tables than anything else. Blackjack and roulette are there for players who prefer them, and the electronic table games give you a lower pressure option if you do not want to sit at a live table with a dealer and other players.

Poker is available, and it is worth knowing that the 21 age rule applies to it just as it does to the rest of the floor². If you are coming specifically for poker, check the current schedule when you arrive, because poker rooms often run on their own hours rather than the full casino hours.

For a closer look at what is spread across both Singapore casinos, Casino Games at Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa covers the game mix.

Beyond the casino: hotel and Universal Studios

Most people who visit Resorts World Sentosa are not there for the casino at all. The resort is built around a theme park, and the casino is one component of a much larger complex.

What else is on the property:

• Universal Studios Singapore, the theme park that anchors the resort
• Hotels on site, so you can stay where you play
• Restaurants and shops across the complex
• Other attractions aimed at families and day trippers

This matters practically. If you are traveling with people who do not want to gamble, they have plenty to do while you spend an hour or two at the tables. You do not need to split up for the whole day. The resort is walkable, and the casino sits within the same complex as the rest of it.

It also means the crowd is mixed. You will see families in the theme park and casino players in the gaming areas, sometimes the same people at different times of day. The dress is casual, as you would expect at a resort, though the casino itself tends to be a notch smarter than the theme park side.

If you are comparing this with other casino resorts in the region, Resorts World Genting in Malaysia runs on a similar integrated resort model, with the casino as one part of a larger holiday destination.

Getting there and what to expect on the day

Sentosa Island is connected to the Singapore mainland by road, cable car and a monorail, so getting there is straightforward from anywhere in the city. Most visitors arrive by taxi, by the Sentosa Express monorail from VivoCity, or on foot across the boardwalk.

On the day itself, plan for this order of events:

1. Arrive at the resort and find the casino entrance.
2. Show your passport or NRIC at the door. Staff check your age and, if you are a citizen or permanent resident, your levy status².
3. If you are a Singapore citizen or permanent resident, pay the entry levy, SGD 150 for 24 hours or SGD 3,000 for the annual membership³.
4. If you are a foreign visitor, walk in. No levy applies to you¹.
5. Once inside, choose your game. Baccarat, blackjack, pontoon, dice games, poker, roulette and electronic table games are all available⁴.

A few practical points that first timers ask about. There is no fee for foreign visitors, so the only cost to get in is your own transport and whatever you choose to spend at the tables. The casino is inside a resort with hotels, so you can leave your bags at your room rather than carry them. And because the floor is capped at 15,000 square meters, you will not spend long finding your way around¹.

One more thing worth knowing: Singapore runs exclusion schemes that apply to both casinos, including this one⁷. A family member can apply for a family exclusion order, and you can apply for a self exclusion yourself⁸. If you are on either list, the casino will not let you in, and the entry levy does not change that. This is not a warning about anything you are likely to run into, just a fact about how the door works if it applies to you or someone you are traveling with.