Bingo: Under the GCA, bingo would be classified as a game of chance. Therefore, the conduct of games of bingo (excluding as a form of social gambling) is a licensable activity and a licence or class licence has to be obtained from the GRA for such games. This would likely remain the position in the near future as there is no indication from the authorities of a possible departure from such position. Casino: With the CCA limiting the number of casino licenses to two until 31 December 2030, there will not be any increase in the number of casino operators in Singapore. Lottery: As mentioned in the section on “Reform Register” below, the GCA allows GRA to issue gambling operator licences for certain gambling services, including lottery. Furthermore, a class licencing regime has been introduced for cause-related games of chance and lotteries, survey-related games of chance and lotteries, fundraiser lotteries, trade promotion games of chance and lotteries, and incidental games of chance and lotteries. Hence, the outlook is a positive one, with the GCA adopting a balanced and permissive approach towards the conduct of lotteries with the dual-licensing regime enacted thereunder. Poker: As a licensable casino game, the game of poker is only available at the casinos in Marina Bay Sands and the Resorts World Sentosa. Given that the CCA has limited the number of casino licences to the existing two licences awarded to the casino operators of Marina Bay Sands and the Resorts World Sentosa, the game of poker will only be playable at these two casinos in the near future. However, under the GCA, it is legal for family and friends to take part in physical social gambling, which would include poker. Skill games: Under the GCA, any game involving both elements of chance and skill, even if the element of chance can be eliminated by superlative skill, is defined as a “game of chance”. Therefore, the conduct of such games would constitute gambling and be subject to the requirement of licensing under the GCA. This broad definition of “game of chance” therefore addresses the blurring divide between games of skill and chance by ensuring that all games containing elements of chance would fall with the regulatory ambit of the GCA. Loot boxes in online games are currently regulated under the Gambling Control (Remote Games of Chance – Class Licence) Order 2022, which permits operators to offer loot boxes subject to safeguards (including that prizes cannot be converted into money or money equivalent). The SGD 100 prize cap proposed by MHA in 2021 was directed at mystery boxes, arcade games and claw machines rather than loot boxes, and a prize cap of under SGD 100 has applied to games at amusement centres and fun fairs since 1 March 2024. Separately, MHA and the GRA are drafting regulations on the sale of blind boxes, which will cover trading card packs. MHA indicated on 7 May 2026 that details will be shared later in 2026, that industry stakeholders are being engaged, and that sellers will not be required to open sealed packs and sell their contents individually. As at the date of this chapter, the regulations have not been published and no in-force date has been announced. Software/B2B: Traditionally, software providers and providers of IT and maintenance services that are not involved in the actual gambling operations have not been the subject of enforcement actions by the regulatory authorities. We anticipate that this is likely to remain the case even under the GCA as there have been no indication otherwise. Furthermore, to future proof the regulatory regime, the amendments to the CCA introduced by the Casino Control (Amendment) Act 2024 (which came into force in tranches, the second on 21 September 2026) have empowered the GRA to approve gaming software independent of gaming hardware e.g. software for deployment on mobile devices such as tablets. However, manufacturers of casino gaming machines and gaming programs must be approved by the GRA, and casino gaming equipment must be tested by Approved Test Service Providers. Hence, the outlook is a positive one. However, this is subject to any future changes to the regulatory approach that may be adopted by the GRA.
Singapore · Question 11 of 11
Singapore Gambling — Outlook: What is coming?
Unfavourable · Confirmed · Expert approved · 3 post-review updates · Not reviewed · In expert review scope · Back to full Singapore report →
Key section parameters
| Jurisdiction | Singapore (SG) |
|---|---|
| Regulator | Recorded in register |
| Favourability | Unfavourable |
| Confidence | Confirmed |
| Review status | Expert approved · 3 post-review updates · Not reviewed · In expert review scope |
| Last collected | 4 Nov 2026 |
Summary answer
Bingo: Under the GCA, bingo would be classified as a game of chance. Therefore, the conduct of games of bingo (excluding as a form of social gambling) is a licensable activity and a licence or class licence has to be obtained from the GRA for such games. This would likely remain the position in the …
Not reviewed Read update
GRA's FY2025/26 annual report is reported by trade press to describe a whitelist of approved casino marketing phrases, simplified procedures for lower-risk promotional applications, expanded use of artificial intelligence in oversight, and a review of the simulated-gaming regime. These items rest on trade-press coverage rather than the primary annual report, which was not independently retrieved this period, and are treated as reported rather than confirmed. None of the reported items would open a new licensing pathway; they would, if confirmed, adjust marketing approval processes and oversight tooling for the existing licensed estate.
Not reviewed Read update
The Casino Control (Prescribed Casino Chips) Regulations 2026 are expected to formalise electronic credits as a recognised form of casino chip, a step that would future-proof the statutory definition of a casino chip ahead of further digitisation of casino gaming products. This sits alongside the tranche-2 amendments already in force, which gave GRA the underlying power to prescribe casino chips and approve gaming software including mobile forms; the forthcoming regulation would be the mechanism by which that power is given more specific technical content.
Not reviewed Read update
The active reform-horizon item this cycle is the blind-box and trading-card class-licence regulation. The Gambling Regulatory Authority and Ministry of Home Affairs confirmed on 7 May 2026 that the regulations remain in drafting under the Gambling Control Act's subsidiary-regulation mechanism, with industry consultation ongoing and no in-force date confirmed. This is treated as a reform-stage transition, moving the applicable product category from an informal, undefined posture toward a drafted regulation subject to consultation. Earlier trade-press speculation of an April 2026 effective date has not been confirmed by MHA or GRA, and no official regulation text has yet been published, a structural gap rather than an inferred stability. The parallel ministerial statement on odds-disclosure, rather than mandatory unsealing, indicates the likely direction of the eventual rule but remains a fragile, revocable position pending finalisation.