Marina Bay Sands: how Singapore regulates its most famous casino resort

Marina Bay Sands, with its three towers and rooftop SkyPark, is Singapore's best-known landmark — and one of the most tightly regulated casinos in the world. Singapore treats its two casino resorts as tourist attractions, not as something to market to its own citizens, and the rules show it.

At a glance

Address	10 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018956
Operator	Marina Bay Sands Pte. Ltd., wholly owned by Las Vegas Sands Corp.
Regulator	Gambling Regulatory Authority of Singapore (GRA)
Minimum age	21
Entry	Free for foreign visitors; S$150 per 24 hours or S$3,000 a year for Singapore citizens and permanent residents
Hotel	1,844 rooms, including 775 suites
Online casino	None

What it is

The casino and part of the resort opened in April 2010 under a 30-year casino concession agreed with the Singapore government in 2006. Alongside the casino are the hotel, the Sands SkyPark with its 150-metre infinity pool, The Shoppes mall, a large convention centre and the ArtScience Museum. An expansion with a fourth tower and a 15,000-seat arena began construction in May 2025 and is expected to open in January 2031, at an estimated cost of around US$8 billion.

Entry rules

You must be 21 or over to enter the casino.
Foreign visitors enter free through dedicated lanes; bring your passport, as you will be asked for ID.
Singapore citizens and permanent residents pay an entry levy — S$150 for 24 hours or S$3,000 for a year — now written directly into the Casino Control Act.
Smart casual dress is expected; beachwear and flip-flops are not appropriate.

How to get there from the UK

Flights

There are non-stop flights from London Heathrow to Singapore Changi, taking around 13–14 hours. Check schedules with the airlines before booking.

From Changi Airport

A taxi to Marina Bay takes around 20–30 minutes depending on traffic. By MRT, take the Changi Airport branch to Expo, change to the Downtown Line and get off at Bayfront, which connects to the resort. Work is under way on the airport branch, so check LTA or SMRT for service changes.

What you can play

According to Las Vegas Sands' 2025 annual report, the casino floor covers about 15,000 m² with approximately 568 gaming tables and around 3,000 slot machines and electronic table games. Games include baccarat, roulette, sic bo, blackjack and poker variants, plus electronic tables such as Ultimate Texas Hold'em. Singapore's cap for the resort is 3,500 machines, raised from 2,500 in 2019.

Is there an online version?

No. Marina Bay Sands does not run an online casino. Under Singapore's Gambling Control Act 2022, Singapore Pools is the only licensed remote gambling operator, and playing with an unlicensed online operator is itself an offence. Any website offering "Marina Bay Sands online casino" is not connected to the resort. For UK players, neither Marina Bay Sands nor Las Vegas Sands currently holds a Gambling Commission licence — Las Vegas Sands Corp. did hold a UK remote licence from 2023, but surrendered it in May 2026.

How Singapore regulates it

The resort is governed by the Casino Control Act and supervised by the Gambling Regulatory Authority, which replaced the Casino Regulatory Authority in August 2022. The licence must be renewed every three years; the current one runs to April 2028. The GRA can fine an operator up to 10% of its previous year's gross gaming revenue for each serious breach.

Casino advertising is tightly restricted: every promotion needs the regulator's approval. In 2025 Marina Bay Sands was fined S$100,000 after giving members of a non-gaming loyalty programme extra prize draw chances based on their casino play between 2018 and 2023 — promotions the GRA said required its approval. Over the years the regulator has also fined the resort for issues such as letting excluded people in and running table games outside approved rules.

Singapore also has some of the strongest exclusion tools anywhere: self-exclusion that covers both casinos and Singapore Pools, exclusion orders that family members can apply for, and voluntary visit limits for citizens and residents.

Tips before you go

Carry your passport and dress smart casual.
Decide on a budget in advance — the casino is open around the clock.
The SkyPark, gardens and light show nearby are free or low-cost alternatives to the casino floor.

When gambling stops being fun

Even a holiday flutter can get out of hand. If you notice you are chasing losses or spending more than you planned, stop. In Singapore, the National Problem Gambling Helpline is 1800-6-668-668, and foreign visitors can also apply for self-exclusion. GAMSTOP does not cover casinos abroad; at home in Britain, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133. See our responsible gambling page.