Responsible gaming at new online casinos

Responsible gaming means keeping control of the time and money you spend on gambling, so that it stays entertainment. Casino games are built so that the casino keeps a share of everything staked over time. Over many sessions, players as a group lose; budget for gambling as money you spend, the way you would on a night out.

Responsible gaming at a new online casino starts with the account, not the games. A new casino has fewer reviews, fewer complaint records and a shorter payout history than an established one. Responsible gaming at a new casino therefore depends on tools you control: a deposit limit, a time limit and a clear stopping point. This page explains which limits to set, which account tools to look for, and where to get free help in Singapore.

Set your limits before the welcome offer

Welcome offers at new casinos are often large, and their wagering keeps you playing. A S$100 bonus with 35 times wagering means betting S$3,500 before you can withdraw it. Set a deposit limit before you claim anything, and decide in advance what you will do if you lose your first deposit.

Lowering a limit usually takes effect at once. Raising one is often delayed, which gives you time to reconsider.

A deposit limit is the first limit to set at a new casino. A deposit limit caps the money that can enter the account in a day, week or month, so a bad evening cannot grow into a bad month. Choose the figure from your budget, not from the size of the welcome offer. Wagering terms set the real cost of a bonus, and a larger offer usually means longer wagering.

Test a new casino with a small amount

Deposit an amount you would accept losing if a withdrawal failed. Then request a small withdrawal early, before you build a balance, to the same method you deposited with. How the casino handles that first cash-out tells you more than its homepage. Our How we review page explains the six checks to run before a first deposit.

A first small withdrawal tests the casino, and it also tests your own limits. New casinos usually ask for identity documents before the first payout. Document checks are a normal part of licensed operation, not a sign of a problem, and the guide to why new online casinos ask for ID explains which documents are requested and why. If a casino delays a small withdrawal without a reason, stop depositing, and do not raise your limits to chase the balance.

Habits that help

• Play with money left after bills and savings, never with borrowed money.
• Decide how long you will play before you start, and stop when the time is up.
• Do not chase losses by raising your stakes.
• Take breaks, and do not play when you are upset, tired or have been drinking.
• Keep gambling as one activity among others.

Habits work because they remove decisions that you would otherwise make in the moment. A fixed session length, a fixed budget and a rule against chasing losses are all set before play, when you are calm. The five tips for gambling control at new online casinos turn these habits into steps you can set up in your account.

Warning signs

Chasing losses, borrowing to gamble, hiding how much you play, or feeling restless when you try to stop are signs that gambling is becoming a problem. Our addiction help page lists the nine signs doctors use and what to do first.

Warning signs usually build slowly. A player first plays longer than planned, then deposits more than planned, then hides the amount from family or friends. Each step is easier to reverse early. If two or more signs apply to you, use a time-out or self-exclusion now rather than waiting for a worse month. Contacting a helpline does not commit you to stopping.

Blocking tools

Self-exclusion at a casino closes your account there and nowhere else. To block gambling sites on a whole device, use an app such as BetBlocker, which is free, or Gamban.

A blocking app works at device level, so it covers casinos that offer no tools of their own. Install it on every phone, tablet and computer that you use for gambling. Ask someone you trust to hold the settings if you want a stronger barrier. Self-exclusion and a blocking app do different jobs, and using both gives the widest cover.

Minimum gambling age in Singapore

The minimum age for gambling in Singapore is 21. Casinos can ask for ID at any time, and new casinos often do before the first withdrawal. If children use your devices, parental controls and blocking apps keep them away from gambling sites.

The minimum age for online gambling in Singapore is 21.

Gambling Control Act 2022 (Act 15 of 2022) is the main law on gambling in Singapore.

Responsible gaming rules and help in Singapore

Singapore licenses no online casinos, and gambling with an unlawful remote operator is an offence under the Gambling Control Act 2022, with a fine of up to S$10,000, up to six months in prison, or both.

The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) runs self-exclusion, family exclusion and third-party exclusion schemes and voluntary visit limits. They cover Singapore's two casinos and the local operators allowed to offer gambling; offshore online casinos are outside them.

The legal status of online casinos in Singapore is Prohibited.

NCPG is listed as Singapore's national gambling helpline. NCPG runs the self-exclusion register for Singapore.

Because Singapore has no licensing route for online casinos, no Singapore regulator handles a complaint against a casino listed on this page. That makes your own records important. Keep screenshots of the terms you accepted and your transaction history, and stop depositing if a dispute starts.

• Apply for self-exclusion through NCPG if you want to stop gambling locally.
• Use a blocking app for online casinos.
• Keep casino money separate from money for rent, bills and family.
• Never borrow to play, including from licensed moneylenders.