Singapore's Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) suspended the gambling venue approval granted for Gaming Machine Rooms at six SAFRA locations for the period 7 to 13 September 20241. The affected venues were SAFRA Jurong, Punggol, Tampines, Toa Payoh, Yishun and Mount Faber1.
The GRA listed the action in its enforcement record for FY2024 against SAFRA National Service Association1. The breach was a contravention of the conditions of approval for approved gambling venues by failing to conduct requisite social safeguard checks, under Section 93 of the Gambling Control Act 20221. The regulator's record shows the action taken was the suspension of the gambling venue approval for the six gaming machine rooms1. No financial penalty was recorded against SAFRA for this breach1.
The GRA's enforcement record sets out the action as follows:
"Suspension of gambling venue approval granted for Gaming Machine Rooms located at SAFRA Jurong, Punggol, Tampines, Toa Payoh, Yishun and Mount Faber for the period 7 to 13 September 2024"
The same suspension was noted in the GRA's annual report, which said the venues in Jurong, Mount Faber, Punggol, Tampines, Toa Payoh and Yishun had failed to "conduct requisite social safeguard checks"2. The Straits Times reported that it had contacted SAFRA for more information2.
The GRA's published enforcement record also lists other actions against operators in Singapore. In FY2025, Marina Bay Sands was fined $100,000 for failing to obtain prior approval to carry out casino promotions, and Singapore Pools was fined $100,000 for failing to verify customers' exclusion status1. In FY2024, BMM Australia and Singapore Pools each received a Letter of Censure1.
| Entity | Breach | Action |
|---|---|---|
| SAFRA National Service Association (FY2024) | Failure to conduct requisite social safeguard checks | Suspension of gambling venue approval for six Gaming Machine Rooms, 7 to 13 September 20241 |
| Marina Bay Sands (FY2025) | Failure to obtain prior approval for casino promotions | Financial penalty of $100,0001 |
| Singapore Pools (FY2025) | Failure to verify customers' exclusion status | Financial penalty of $100,0001 |
What it means for players
The suspension applied to the gaming machine rooms at the six named SAFRA clubs, not to SAFRA as a whole, and it ran for a fixed week in September 20241. For that period, those rooms could not operate under their venue approval1. The GRA has not reported whether the rooms reopened on schedule or what checks were subsequently put in place; that has not been reported.
The breach concerned social safeguard checks, which are the conditions attached to an approved gambling venue's approval1. For anyone using gaming machine rooms at SAFRA clubs, the practical effect of the action was a temporary closure of those specific rooms rather than any change to the rules on who may play or how much may be staked. The GRA's wider enforcement record shows that operators in Singapore face penalties for lapses in exclusion checks, promotion approvals and internal controls1. Details of how Singapore regulates gambling operators and licenses are set out in the guide to gambling regulators and licenses in Asia, and the process for suspensions is covered in what happens when a gambling license is suspended or revoked. General information on gambling in the country is in Can I gamble in Singapore?.
What happens next
The GRA's record does not set out any further steps tied to the SAFRA suspension beyond the 7 to 13 September 2024 period1. Separately, the GRA renewed the Resorts World Sentosa casino license for two years instead of three in November 2024, a decision the authority's chairman described as using "effective regulatory levers"2. The GRA said it is working with operators to strengthen compliance and risk culture and is using artificial intelligence to detect regulatory anomalies and at-risk behavior2.
