Singaporean online casinos for Real Money

Singapore has been experimenting with gambling laws ever since it gained independence from the United Kingdom in the 1960s. The Singaporean authorities have chosen to gradually legalise gambling, bit by bit, in a bid to avoid excessive gambling. Singapore is, after all, a rich country where players often have plenty of cash to splash.

Singapore decided to legalise gambling in 2005, seeing it as beneficial to the country’s tourism sector and weighing up the pros and cons compared to, say, the ill-effects gambling can have on the local population. The regulations implemented in 2005 stated that Singapore could only have two licensed casinos, only “resorts” could facilitate casinos, there would be a $100 entry fee for players, and the National Council for Problem Gambling and the Casino Regulatory Authority would be two bodies established to handle the industry.

What about online gambling, though? For years, Singapore refused to budge when it came to online betting. However, in 2014, the Remote Gambling Bill was passed. This clarified the situation by making all forms of internet betting illegal. Advertising gambling, ISPs providing access to betting sites, processing financial payments, and running online gambling enterprises that target Singaporeans (even from offshore) were all made illegal.

Singapore also chose to crack down on its citizens and residents. Those who choose to gamble can be fined $5,000 or face six months in the slammer. Companies themselves can face fines of $20,000 up to half-a-million dollars, although, obviously, these fines are near-impossible to implement internationally.

The Casino Regulatory Authority has the power to issue licenses and regulated operators in Singapore. They run the rule over casino, bingo, and poker games in the country. Sports betting is another matter. This is handled by the Singapore Pools, a state-run monopoly. They are permitted to run an online sportsbook run by OpenBet. The same company also has jurisdiction over the Singaporean lottery.

Given the punishments in place for gambling at offshore casinos, we don’t advise it or condone it. However, if Singaporeans truly want to bet at online gambling sites such as internet casinos, they are left with precious few choices. Most will opt to use VPNs to get themselves out of that hole. However, not all offshore internet casinos accept players who use VPNs, so this is worth checking before you sign up at any such sites.

Singapore’s players love to bet on sports, and for the most part, that is deemed legal in the country. The trouble occurs when Singaporeans fancy wagering on casino games – and many of them want to. There, slots and live dealer table games tend to be the most popular options, with games like roulette, blackjack, baccarat, Sic Bo, table poker, and others proving hits with bettors. Most offshore casinos catering to players in Singapore can easily manage to provide these options.

Given Singapore’s stance on online gambling, it won’t come as a surprise to learn that there are no major software providers based in Singapore. Singapore’s licensed sportsbooks use software from OpenBet, but they aren’t a Singaporean brand. As illegal offshore casinos are the only way for Singaporeans to bet online, the true array of developers present at each site will vary depending on the site you choose to play at.

Singapore doesn’t have any state-licensed casinos; the Casino Regulatory Authority doesn’t have permission to license any. Therefore, the online Singaporean casinos you can come across are those based offshore. Because of the potential hefty fines involved, there aren’t many of those for you to choose from, and players should be wary and take every precaution to mask their location and identity. Singapore does (we repeat, does) fine and potentially imprison its citizens who break these laws.

Most casinos that accept Singaporean casinos don’t do so exclusively. They are generally Asia-facing sites that accept players from other parts of the continent, too. For this reason, access to SGD currency payment options and Singaporean support is limited at best.