Singapore Pools halt retail betting, casinos face new virus limits

Singapore’s two casinos are imposing new limits on who gets to play on their gaming floors, while Singapore Pools has shut its retail sports and race betting operations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Thursday, Las Vegas Sands’ Marina Bay Sands (MBS) and Genting Singapore’s Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) each announced new rules to comply with the city-state’s orders to minimize further spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

MBS announced that its casino facilities were now only accessible by “Sands Rewards Club Gold and above” members, as well as local residents who have already paid the annual entry levy, which was increased to SG$3k (US$2,100) last April. RWS said its gaming floor was now accessible only by existing Genting Rewards members and locals who’d paid the annual levy.

Both casinos have also adopted social distancing and crowd control requirements, in keeping with the Casino Regulatory Authority’s guidelines. Singapore’s government has ordered all bars and entertainment venues to be closed until at least April 30 and it remains to be seen whether the casinos will eventually be forced to halt their gaming operations.