Parliament passes Casino Control (Amendment) Bill

Singapore's Parliament passed the Casino Control (Amendment) Act 2024 on 10 September 2024, and President Tharman Shanmugaratnam assented to it on 30 September 2024¹. The Act amends the Casino Control Act 2006 and makes related changes to the Gambling Control Act 2022 and the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Singapore Act 2022¹. It was first published in the Government Gazette on 3 October 2024¹.

The Act raises the casino entry levies paid by Singapore citizens and permanent residents. The daily levy goes from $100 to $150, and the annual levy from $2,000 to $3,000¹. It also gives the Minister power to vary the entry levies by order in the Gazette¹. The Act expands the National Council on Problem Gambling, requiring it to have not less than 8 and not more than 20 members including the chairperson and every vice-chairperson¹. It extends a term from 2 years to 3 years¹.

The Act also changes casino transaction rules, covering a casino operator entering into a transaction involving the payment of $4,000 or more, whether or not in cash, in a single transaction to a patron or to any person acting on behalf of a patron¹. It adds grounds for assessing whether an applicant is suitable to be concerned in the management and operation of a casino, including whether the applicant conducts business in a manner that is unethical or will bring discredit to casino gambling in Singapore, and whether there has been a systemic deficiency or failure in internal controls or corporate governance¹.

The Act sets out two commencement dates. Sections listed in the schedule came into operation on 30 October 2024, and other sections come into operation on 21 September 2026². The Act states it "comes into operation on a date that the Minister appoints by notification in the Gazette"¹. A separate guide states the Act "was passed on 10 September 2024 and partially commenced on 30 October 2024," with remaining provisions to be operationalized at a later date, "although unspecified"³.

What it means for players

For Singapore citizens and permanent residents, the cost of entering a casino rises once the relevant provisions take effect: the daily levy moves to $150 and the annual levy to $3,000¹. A separate guide states that Section 116 imposes a S$150 daily levy or S$3,000 annual levy for Singapore citizens and permanent residents³. The Act also lets the Minister vary these levies by order in the Gazette, so the amounts can change again without a new Act¹.

The Act redefines terms including "casino gambling," "casino game," "casino chip," "gaming program" and "electronic table game," which affects what counts as regulated casino activity and equipment¹. It also creates the category of "casino-excluded person," covering people banned under exclusion orders, family exclusion orders, third party exclusion orders, self-exclusion, or a visit limit¹. A casino-excluded person who contravenes the ban commits an offense¹.

The National Council on Problem Gambling gains a wider role, including powers to require a respondent to close a deposit account in a casino, to require participation in counseling, rehabilitation or special education, or to undergo an assessment of harm from gambling². The Council may substitute a family exclusion order with a family visit limit in certain cases².

What happens next

The Act's remaining provisions come into operation on 21 September 2026². A separate guide states that remaining provisions will be operationalized at a later date, "although unspecified," and that public consultation closed in August 2025 with the outcome uncertain³. The Act also contains a validation provision and saving and transitional provisions².

For more on the region's rules, see Recent and Pending Gambling Law Changes in Asia, Gambling Laws in Asia: What Is Legal in 12 Jurisdictions and Can I Gamble in Singapore?.