Singapore is not an open online gambling market. Gambling is prohibited unless it is licensed or exempted, the licensees are a short and fixed list, and advertising by licensed operators needs the regulator's approval. For an iGaming marketer, that means there is no player audience to buy in Singapore. The market matters for a different reason: suppliers, platforms, payment firms and affiliates that serve licensed operators elsewhere in Asia and the world run teams from the city.
This guide sets out the rules as published by the Singapore government, checked on 5 November 2026, and what they mean for gaming companies planning marketing in or from Singapore. Basher's own B2B work for the region is on the Singapore and APAC B2B page.
Market snapshot 2026
- Regulator: Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA), a statutory board under the Ministry of Home Affairs, reconstituted from the Casino Regulatory Authority on 1 August 2022 (GRA)
- Main law: Gambling Control Act 2022, in force for most provisions from 1 August 2022. It repealed the Betting Act 1960, the Common Gaming Houses Act 1961, the Private Lotteries Act 2011 and the Remote Gambling Act 2014
- Default position: gambling is prohibited unless licensed or exempted
- Licensed operators: casinos run by Resorts World at Sentosa and Marina Bay Sands; lottery and betting services of Singapore Pools; gaming machine rooms and social gambling run by community organisations
- Sports betting: Singapore Pools is the only entity licensed to offer it (Ministry of Home Affairs, 6 May 2026)
- Lower-risk gambling, such as trade promotion games of chance, falls under a class licence regime administered by the GRA
- Advertising: prohibited for licensed operators unless approved by the GRA; advertising unlawful gambling is an offence
Who can offer gambling in Singapore?
Only the operators the GRA licenses or exempts. The GRA lists its licensees for higher-risk gambling as the two integrated resort casinos, Singapore Pools for lottery and betting, and community organisations for gaming machine rooms and social gambling. Lower-risk activities, such as games of chance used in trade promotions, sit under a class licence regime, where the organiser does not apply for an individual licence but must follow the published conditions.
There is no licence category that lets a foreign online casino or sportsbook take bets from people in Singapore. The Gambling Control Act's long title describes it as a law to consolidate the suppression of unlawful gambling and the regulation of authorised gambling services, and it replaced the Remote Gambling Act 2014 that had covered online gambling before.
What are Singapore's gambling advertising rules?
The GRA's responsible gambling page sets out the position:
- All forms of advertising and promotion by licensed gambling operators are prohibited unless otherwise approved by the GRA.
- It is an offence under the Gambling Control Act 2022 to advertise unlawful gambling activities in or from Singapore, or from outside Singapore to persons in Singapore. An individual found guilty faces a fine of up to S$20,000.
- Members of the public can report ads for unlicensed gambling to the Singapore Police Force through I-Witness.
The Act groups these rules in Part 6, Division 3, "Unlawful gambling advertising": section 85 (advertising unlawful gambling), section 86 (defences) and section 87 (corrective measures relating to unlawful gambling advertisements).
The Ministry of Home Affairs restated the rules in a written parliamentary reply on 6 May 2026, ahead of the FIFA World Cup. Ads for unlicensed sports betting are prohibited, with fines of up to S$20,000. Inducing an underaged person to gamble, including through advertising and promotion, carries a fine of up to S$300,000, up to six years in prison, or both. The Ministry also said the Police would block websites and ads offering illegal gambling, terminate local phone numbers that advertise it, and block linked bank accounts and payment cards.
What this means for iGaming marketers
The practical answer is short. If your plan includes reaching players in Singapore with a casino, sportsbook or lottery offer that is not licensed by the GRA, there is no compliant version of that plan. That covers paid search and social, SEO pages targeting Singapore players, affiliate sites, Telegram channels and influencer posts, whether they are run from Singapore or from abroad.
Licensed operators are in a different position, but their advertising also requires GRA approval, so their campaigns are planned with the regulator rather than bought on the open market.
What remains open is business-to-business marketing. A game studio, platform provider, payment company or affiliate network based in Singapore and selling to operators licensed in the Philippines, Europe or Latin America markets itself to those operators, not to Singapore players. That work is mostly LinkedIn, trade media, B2B search and events. The line between B2B material and gambling advertising should still be checked by Singapore counsel before a campaign runs, particularly for anything that shows games, odds or offers.
How B2B gaming companies market from Singapore
For Singapore-based suppliers, the channel mix looks nothing like a consumer gaming plan:
- Search and AI answers. Operators research suppliers by category ("PAM platform", "game aggregator", "KYC provider for iGaming"). Clear product pages with licence and certification details get found and quoted.
- LinkedIn. Executive content and account-based campaigns aimed at named operators in licensed markets.
- Trade media and awards. Placements and award entries with the industry's trade press.
- Events. SiGMA Asia, which held its 2026 edition in Manila, is the main operator event for the region. European and Latin American shows matter for suppliers selling there as well.
For operators licensed in the Philippines by PAGCOR, see our Philippines market guide and Basher in the Philippines.
FAQs
Is online gambling legal in Singapore?
Only through operators licensed or exempted by the GRA. Singapore Pools is the only entity licensed to offer sports betting, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs (6 May 2026). Offshore online casinos and sportsbooks are not licensed to serve people in Singapore.
Who regulates gambling in Singapore?
The Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA), a statutory board under the Ministry of Home Affairs. It was reconstituted from the Casino Regulatory Authority on 1 August 2022, when the Gambling Control Act 2022 came into force.
Can licensed operators advertise in Singapore?
Only with approval. The GRA states that all forms of advertising and promotion by licensed gambling operators are prohibited unless it approves them.
What is the penalty for advertising unlawful gambling in Singapore?
An individual convicted of advertising unlawful gambling faces a fine of up to S$20,000 under the Gambling Control Act 2022. Inducing an underaged person to gamble, including through advertising, carries up to S$300,000, six years in prison, or both, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Does Basher run player acquisition for Singapore?
No. Basher works in Singapore only with B2B companies that sell to operators licensed in other jurisdictions.
Get in touch
If you are a supplier, platform or payment company selling to licensed operators from Singapore and want a B2B marketing plan for the region, we can help.
- Talk to us about an APAC B2B marketing plan: /contact
- See how we work with APAC B2B companies: Basher in Singapore and APAC
- See all Basher services: /services