Singapore's Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) renewed the casino license of Resorts World Sentosa for two years rather than the standard three, it said on Nov 18, 2024. The new term begins on Feb 6, 20251. A GRA spokesperson said this is the first time the regulator has issued a casino license with a tenure shorter than three years2.
The decision followed an evaluation of RWS's tourism performance from Jan 1, 2021, to Dec 31, 2023, which an independent evaluation panel appointed by the Minister for Trade and Industry found "unsatisfactory, with a number of areas that require rectification and substantial improvement"1. The GRA said it also considered the views of the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), the Singapore Tourism Board and Sentosa Development Corporation1. Asked where RWS fell short, MTI said it was "unable to disclose the details of RWS's performance in relation to their license renewal"1.
"The Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) has renewed the casino license of Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) for just two years, one less than the usual three, over the integrated resort's \"unsatisfactory\" tourism performance."
Genting Singapore, which owns RWS, said the evaluation period coincided with the global pandemic and that Singapore's tourism industry faced "very significant challenges" during that time1. The company said RWS "continues to accelerate its transformation to refresh and rejuvenate existing offerings to deepen its destination appeal and visitor experiences"1. Its new S$6.8 billion waterfront lifestyle complex, including an 88m-tall light sculpture, two luxury hotels and a "mountain trail", is due for completion by 2030 and will expand the existing property by about 50 percent, adding more than 164,000 sq m of new gross floor area2.
The renewal is separate from an earlier penalty. In December 2023, the GRA fined RWS S$2.25 million (US$1.7 million) for failing to perform due diligence checks when receiving cash of S$5,000 or more from third parties to deposit into customers' accounts. The GRA said at the time that this was the biggest penalty it had imposed on a casino operator so far, and that such checks on depositors are mandatory for casino operators receiving cash of S$5,000 or more1.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Licence renewed | Two years, effective Feb 6, 20251 |
| Standard term | Three years1 |
| Evaluation period | Jan 1, 2021 to Dec 31, 20231 |
| Prior fine | S$2.25 million (US$1.7 million), December 20231 |
RWS operates one of Singapore's two casinos. Marina Bay Sands runs the other1. Both sit under the GRA, whose role and powers are set out in our guide to gambling regulators and licenses in Asia, and the operators it supervises are listed in which gambling operators are licensed in Singapore.
What it means for players
The shorter license does not change what is on offer inside the casino. RWS remains licensed and can keep operating through the new term, so locals, expats and visitors face no change to entry rules, games or opening arrangements on the basis of this decision alone. The practical effect is supervisory: the regulator has flagged shortcomings in how the resort performs as a tourist destination, and the next evaluation comes sooner than usual. For anyone with a complaint about a casino or betting site, the route to the regulator is set out in our guide to complaining to a gambling regulator. Details of what is played at Singapore's two casinos are in our guide to casino games at Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa.
What happens next
The evaluation panel recommended that RWS's next evaluation be carried out in 20261. The GRA said it "will continue to work with MTI, STB, and SDC, to ensure that RWS meets the requirement to develop, maintain and promote its IR as a compelling tourist destination"1. The two-year license term runs from Feb 6, 20251. No further detail on the specific areas requiring improvement has been reported.
