Singapore Casinos
Singapore Online Casinos
Singapore is not the first country you would think of when it comes to online betting. After all, online gambling in Singapore is illegal, save for sports and lottery betting. This is quite funny considering that Singapore is home to two of Asia’s best and most loved land-based, brick-and-mortar casinos. If Singaporeans can bet in land-based venues, why can’t they do so online?
The thing is – Singaporeans can’t bet, either at land-based casinos or online. The land-based casinos in Singapore are reserved for foreigners and tourists, and online betting is banned for everyone. However, we know that betting in Singapore is hugely popular, so residents and tourists must be betting online somewhere, right? Learn where they head to and how you can gamble online in Singapore today as we explore the country in this guide.
First, though, allow us to introduce you to a handful of top Singapore online casinos. Bear in mind these aren’t located in Singapore, but in terms of allowing you to bet from the country, they are as good as it gets. Our top, recommended casinos include:
Best Real Money Online Casinos for Singapore Players
Is It Legal to Gamble Online in Singapore?
As mentioned earlier, foreigners and tourists are invited to gamble in Singapore’s two brick and mortar casinos. However, neither they nor residents can bet at legal gambling sites in Singapore, except for those offering sports and lottery games and run by Singapore Pools. The Singaporean authorities simply don’t permit casino sites. However, it is still possible to have a crack at online casino gambling, albeit at legit Singapore online casinos that aren’t based in the Southeast Asian country.
Fortunately, it is not that difficult to get around these blocks. You can easily do so with a half-decent VPN (virtual private network). As you are playing on a non-Singaporean server and are technically “located elsewhere”, you aren’t really breaking Singapore’s gambling laws. This is a point of contention, though, for obvious reasons.
Online Casino
While legit Singapore online casinos are non-existent, 52% of Singaporeans (in a survey of 3,000) admitted to gambling at least once, spending up to $30. Internet casinos were accounting for quite a large chunk of those bets. Of course, all these were registered at offshore casinos, and we’re going to cover some more of these top sites for you on this page. Just be warned that not all offshore casinos that accept players from Singapore accept deposits using Singaporean dollars. After all, that currency is relatively small and doesn’t have global appeal. when gambling online from Singapore, you may find yourself better off using US dollars and other mainstream fiat currencies (or cryptocurrencies).
Online Poker
Online poker isn’t that popular amongst Singaporean players. There are poker rooms that you can get involved in, and live dealer, video poker, and RNG (random number generator) table poker games can be played at offshore casinos, but bona fide poker rooms just don’t seem to tick Singaporeans’ boxes. They wouldn’t be legal even if they were.
Online Sports Betting
Players in Singapore do love to bet on sports, and these constitute just as much of the market as online casino bets. Most popular with 18-to-29-year-olds, sports betting options span football, cricket, motor racing and athletics. There are plenty of top internet bookmakers (all offshore, of course) that are open to providing sports betting options to players in Singapore. Moreover, sports betting is one of the few types of gambling options that is fully legal in Singapore. However, you can only bet on sports through the Singapore Pools state-owned monopoly.
Online Lottery
Lottery games are technically legal in Singapore. Run by Singapore Pools and known as the 4D Lottery, this game is officially licensed and legal in Singapore. It accounts for over half of the bets made by most Singaporeans. Held every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, the lotto is immensely popular. It is no problem if you want to go online and purchase tickets to the lotto in Singapore.
Online Bingo
Despite lottery games being backed, bingo games are not. While most other modern countries equate bingo and lottery games with being relatively the same thing (games of chance), Singapore takes a different view. As bingo games are equated to casino games, they are forbidden and are not legal at a local level. You can, however, bet on bingo games at offshore sites, even if this isn’t strictly legal.
History of Gambling in Singapore
Singapore has a complicated past with online gambling. Allow us to take a brief look at the key turning points in the country’s love and hate affair with betting below:
- 1700s: Singaporeans are known to have gambled on cockfighting, but the arrival of British administrators such as Stamford Raffles sees an end to that.
- 1820: Raffles’ subordinate takes a different view and sees gambling as a source of revenue. After Raffles departure, William Farquhar legalises gambling and issues licenses for $95 a month. Raffles returns in 1823 and passes new regulation that terminates all forms of public gambling. Within a year, John Crawford would once again legalise betting houses, only for the Straight Settlements to ban them once more in 1829.
- 1830s: Illegal gambling will flourish for decades, particularly on Church Street. It resurfaces from time to time. Attempts to bring it back in the 1860s don’t amount to much.
- 1900s: Singapore legalises gambling (in some forms) in a bid to levy taxes for the government. Casino games remained banned, though.
- 1963: After gaining independence from the United Kingdom, all forms of gambling are legalised and under Singaporean control, save for casino gambling.
- 2004: Singapore approves the creation of two land-based casinos, although they are reserved for foreign nationals.
- 2014: With Singaporeans regularly visiting offshore casinos, the government passes the Remote Gambling Bill. It makes all forms of internet betting (save for those run by Singapore Pools) illegal in the country. As a result, players now face a 45,000 fine and/or six months in prison if caught gambling. The penalty for operators is more severe.
Future Online Gambling Trends in Singapore
Will the situation change in Singapore in the future? It may do, but there are no indications of that happening right now. Singapore has already taken steps in the right direction by legalising sports betting and lotto games, some of which can be played online at sites run by Singapore Pools. At the same time, they have blocked all attempts to have casino games legalised and even gone as far as banning offshore casinos.
Will you ever be able to play online slots for real money in Singapore? Well, what the situation above tells us is that Singapore isn’t opposed to legalised casino games (in principle) but doesn’t want greedy offshore operators taking away a taxable revenue. Our best guess is that Singapore will legalise casino gambling in the future (though it could take a decade), but it will most likely only be through Singapore Pools or another state-monopolised entity.
Is It Safe to Gamble at a Singapore Online Casino?
Given that all Singapore online casinos are based offshore, you can’t rely on any national regulations and player protections to guarantee safe gambling options. Instead, you must rely on offshore operators, licensing bodies and regulators to offer safe online casinos to players in Singapore. Fortunately, if you know where to look – and we do – then there are safe sites to play at. Things you need to keep an eye out for include:
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Responsible gambling tools
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Certifications of fair play
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SSL encryption
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A license from a trustworthy body
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RNG certifications for games
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Proof of regulation from independent auditors and bodies
How to Choose the Best Online Casino?
It can take a bit of time for you to scout through all the elements listed above to find trusted, secure casinos. What if we could speed up the process and offer you access to the most trusted online casinos for Singapore players right now? As it happens, we can. If you head over to our online gambling reviews for Singapore casinos, you can find such sites in abundance.
Each of our trusted Singaporean casinos is based offshore; they have flexible rules for accepting players from Singapore and not releasing your data when requested to do so. They either accept the Singaporean dollar or another major currency, such as the US dollar. Moreover, they are licensed and certified as fair. Any of the top casinos that feature on our page are well-suited and unquestionably recommended to you if you don’t want to do the legwork for yourself.
Casino Bonuses
Most offshore Singaporean online casinos do carry casino bonuses. These mainly occur when you first sign up as a new player at a site. You should expect to see deposit-based deals, with a few free spins thrown in here. However, additional bonuses are appreciated. Whatever offers the casino has, we want to see fair terms and conditions (such as wagering requirements), minimum deposit limits and decent rules for the types of games you can use those bonuses on. Again, all our recommended Singaporean casinos fit the bill here.
Games and Software
Playing online casino games in Singapore is tricky enough as it is. Since you must venture to offshore casinos to play, you might as well aim for the sites that have the biggest and best collections of games. Try to choose sites that feature software from over ten to fifteen providers and have arsenals of several hundred games, if not thousands, spanning all sorts of genres, such as video poker, table games, slots, and live dealer titles.
The Reputation of the Casino
Our team always does its research before we recommend a casino to you. However, you may wish to do your own homework. Ultimately, the most important thing here is that you check that a casino does pay out when it says it will. Moreover, they should also have no serious complaints against them. Responsible gambling tools and certificates of fair play are usually good signs of this, too.
Casino Customer Support
Alongside responsible gambling policies and fair play, any decent Singaporean casino we would recommend to you should have bona fide customer support options. In short, players in Singapore should expect live chat assistance in English. E-mail and telephone support are not as important but nonetheless appreciated. Finally, assistance in Malaya, Mandarin or Tamil couldn’t hurt, either.
Payment Methods
Singaporeans aren’t always going to be able to deposit and bet with Singaporean dollars. After all, this currency is not globally available and isn’t widely accepted at casinos. However, some of our top recommended casinos certainly accept it. We would be prepared to play in USD, though, as most top, and safe casinos accept this currency from players in Singapore.
Online Casino Games Available for Singapore Players
As mentioned earlier, it helps to have access to a selection of the best online casino games that Singapore offers. Naturally, we’re talking about several hundred, even thousands of games from 10, 15, 20, 25 or even more software providers all under one roof. We want to see old favourites and new online casino games for Singapore-based players. This might sound like we’re asking for a lot, but there are plenty of top offshore online casinos that accept Singapore players that can manage this.
With that said, let us now take a closer look at the types of games you should regularly expect to see in the best Singaporean casinos…
Online Slots
Online slots are popular amongst Singapore players, but you naturally must head to offshore casinos to play slot machines in Singapore. Once you are signed up to these casinos, you can find the same array of titles you would expect to see anywhere, including classic, fruit machine, video, and progressive jackpot slots.
Online Blackjack
Blackjack and card games are not as popular with players as you might expect. Playing blackjack online for real money in Singapore is nonetheless possible. Head to a casino that features games from multiple providers to choose from several variants.
Online Roulette
The best online roulette gambling sites in Singapore will be those offshore casinos that offer French, European and American roulette games. Moreover, they will carry a few alternative variants, including live dealer roulette, auto roulette and some form of roulette with side-bets.
Live Dealer Games
Speaking of live dealer games, these are a must nowadays. Casinos can no longer decide whether they wish to support live casino games or not. Live casino games online in Singapore should be a choice we all have. Expect to see baccarat, blackjack, and roulette games at the very least, if not many more alternatives.
Other Online Casino Games
While other casino games may not tick as many boxes for Singaporeans as you might like to think, such games should nonetheless be offered. We would want to see a few keno, bingo, scratch card and other lotto games, perhaps a few instant win titles and some other fixed-odds titles. Given that sports betting is legal in Singapore, we’d want to see that option presented, too, if only virtually.
Most Popular Casino Software in Singapore
Can you find Microgaming casinos in Singapore? Do the best NetEnt casinos cater to players in Singapore, too? Ultimately, as we are talking about players in Singapore having to join offshore casinos, you could seemingly find games from any number of top developers at these casinos. Here is a brief look at some of the developers commonly associated with Singaporean betting sites:
Live Dealer Games:
- Evolution Gaming
- Ezugi
- Dream Gaming
Casino Games:
- Play’n GO
- Playtech
- Pragmatic Play
- Real Time Gaming
- Yggdrasil Gaming
Of course, we would expect that any decent Singaporean casino offers these games up as free-to-play (demo) games and real money titles. Moreover, they should all be mobile compatible. Where possible, it is an advantage to play such games in Singaporean dollars over other currencies.
Banking Information for Singapore Players
As touched on already, your odds of being able to bet with SGD at offshore casinos isn’t that good, as most prefer major currencies, such as USD, GBP, EUR, and others. On the upside, obtaining such currencies isn’t difficult. Any typical e-wallet can see you able to convert SGD into another currency. Therefore, playing at a Singapore online casino with PayPal is ideal over an online casino that accepts players in Singapore with VISA Debit options.
The general things you should keep an eye out for when banking at Singapore casinos are as follows:
- Be sure that you can deposit in SGD or another major currency you can easily obtain
- Don’t deposit in a currency you don’t have, as you may be liable for charges and fees
- Always check out the payment methods before committing to an online casino
- Look for a casino that can process your withdrawals in under 48 hours
- As you live in Singapore, casinos that are less picky with KYC terms are more advantageous
Of course, making a deposit via a Singaporean bank transfer would be advantageous. However, this showcases that you are betting online, which, as you’ll remember, is illegal. Therefore, it is better to use alternative options. Here are a few of the more popular ones:
- EcoPayz
- Paysafecard
- PayPal
- AsiaPay88
- PDSB Bank, UOB, DBS, OCBC Bank
- Paytrust
Cryptocurrencies
Cryptocurrencies are another option you can consider using at Singaporean online casinos. These tend to be widely accepted at many foreign sites, and Singapore hasn’t officially prohibited the use of cryptocurrencies. As a country known for its financial markets and prowess, that isn’t altogether unsurprisingly.
Some of the benefits associated with crypto casino gambling include faster withdrawal times, added security and anonymity, and the ability to deposit with fees. Here are a few of the most common cryptocurrencies you can use when betting online from Singapore:
Mobile Gaming in Singapore
Mobile casino gambling should be a doddle from the Southeast Asian country. Online gambling apps are available in Singapore, but only if you opt to play at the biggest and most recognisable sites. If you choose to play at HTML5 developed instant play casinos, you need nothing more than a web browser (on any modern iOS or Android device) to play mobile casino games from Singapore. The general rule is that all casino games should be mobile compatible by now, including live dealer games. Moreover, HTM5 (instant play sites) should e easy to navigate no matter the size of your screen or device.
Singapore Online Casino Bonuses & Promo Codes
Every player, even Singapore players, want to claim the tasty bonuses. As they are forced to play at offshore casinos, some of the best bonus online casinos around await Singapore players. You can often claim offers worth thousands of dollars, snap up continual deposit bonuses, pocket free spins aplenty and reap the rewards of fitting loyalty programs and VIP clubs. Singapore online casino bonus codes may trigger daily, weekly, or monthly specials, while tournaments and prize draw competitions are not underheard of, either.
What is important to remember is that you should only claim offers and deals that have fair terms and conditions. Don’t claim any deals with excessive wagering requirements, highly minimum deposit limits, or shocking low maximum win/withdrawal caps. For the sake of argument, all the top bonuses that feature at our recommended casinos have been checked and thoroughly vetted to ensure that they are amongst the best in the business.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the bonuses players from Singapore should expect to see…
No Deposit Bonuses
Playing a no deposit casino in Singapore will see you eligible to receive either free cash or spins when you sign up to a casino. This will often be just a small sum of money, but even then, a new Singapore no deposit casino bonus could prove just the ticket you need to get started in style. Any top casinos offering fair no deposit bonuses can be found in our casino reviews.
Deposit Match
The first deposit bonus casinos in Singapore offer is usually referred to as a welcome bonus. This will provide you with a sum of cash (perhaps free spins to boot) based on the total you deposit. Ideally, you want to get as much gratis cash with as low a deposit as normal. Therefore, we regularly recommend Singapore online casinos with low first deposit requirements.
Free Spins
As touched on, online casinos can offer free signup bonuses with no deposit required to Singapore players, and many of these tend to be free spins. Others tend to be cash-based bonuses. A free spin bonus is designed to allow you to spin the reels of a slot, a selection of slots, or all games without cost and with the potential to win real money.
Reload Bonuses
Reload bonuses aren’t much different to conventional welcome bonuses. The basic idea behind these deals is that you can claim a cash match when you deposit. While they tend to be worth a touch less than welcome bonuses, they are still handy bonuses for Singaporeans to bag if they need to boost their balance while betting.
New Online Casinos in Singapore
Of course, it is always tempting to play at the old reliable and trusted sites. However, there are times when opting for new Singapore online casinos may be beneficial for you. After all, these are the sites that tend to feature the newest games, are mobile compatible and come with all the latest responsible gambling tools, certifications, and security features. Check back regularly to find the hottest array of new Singaporean casinos at your disposal.
FAQs
It is perfectly normal if you still have queries related to betting at online casinos in Singapore. If that’s the case, perhaps we can help you with the following FAQ guide?
