Marina Bay Sands vs Resorts World Sentosa

Games on the floor: tables and machines

Marina Bay Sands is the bigger gaming floor of the two, and it is the one that publishes detailed numbers. The casino holds roughly 600 table games and around 3,000 electronic gaming machines, a mix that includes video games, slot machines and multi-station games². The table list runs to baccarat, roulette, sic bo, blackjack and poker, which covers the games most visitors to Singapore are looking for⁵.

The machine side is where the two properties differ most in feel. Marina Bay Sands describes more than 3,000 electronic gaming machines, so if you want a large slot floor with plenty of choice, that is the venue with the volume⁶. Resorts World Sentosa runs its casino as one part of a resort that also holds Universal Studios Singapore, Adventure Cove Waterpark, the Singapore Oceanarium, a convention center and a research and learning center, so the casino is one stop on a larger property rather than the whole point of the visit³.

If you are comparing the two on games alone, the practical answer is that Marina Bay Sands gives you more tables and more machines to choose from, while Resorts World Sentosa gives you a smaller casino attached to a theme park resort. Neither publishes a table minimum list that would let you plan a budget in advance, so treat the first walk through the floor as the moment you find out what the minimums are on the night you visit.

One game worth knowing about before you go: Marina Bay Sands is believed to have been the first casino to offer Quadruple-Zero Roulette, in 2024⁷. That is a wheel with four zeros rather than the usual one or two. More zeros means a larger house edge, so it is a worse bet than standard roulette, not a novelty worth seeking out for value⁷. If you want the basics of how roulette pays, the roulette rules page covers bet types and payouts.

Craps is the question people ask most often about Marina Bay Sands, and the honest answer is that the casino's own game list names baccarat, roulette, sic bo, blackjack and poker, and does not name craps⁵. If craps is the reason for your visit, contact the casino before you travel rather than assuming it will be there.

Entry levy: S$150 for every consecutive 24 hours for citizens and permanent residents

This is the single biggest practical difference between the two casinos and the one that catches people out, so it is worth being precise.

The levy applies only to Singapore citizens and Singapore permanent residents. Foreign visitors, including expats living in Singapore on employment passes, work permits or dependant passes, pay nothing to enter either casino. You show your passport at the entrance and walk in³.

For citizens and permanent residents, the levy is S$150 for every consecutive period of 24 hours⁴. The rate was raised from S$100 to S$150, a change made in the Casino Control (Amendment) Bill of 2024⁸. Older sources still quote the S$100 figure, and you will see it in plenty of places online, but the current rate at the door is S$150⁴.

The levy is charged per casino, per 24-hour period. It is not a single payment that covers both properties, and it is not a one-off charge for your whole trip. If you enter Marina Bay Sands on a Saturday evening and want to come back on Sunday evening, that is a second 24-hour period and a second S$150. If you want to visit both casinos on the same day, you pay at each one.

There is an annual option for residents who visit often. The alternative to the daily levy is an annual pass, priced at S$2,000⁹. That works out cheaper than the daily rate once you are visiting more than about thirteen times a year, and it is the option regular local players tend to take.

Paying is straightforward. Singaporeans and permanent residents can buy their entry levies using cash, NETS or credit cards inside the casino, and the levy can also be paid online¹⁰. Bring your NRIC or passport, since the levy is tied to your identity and the casino needs to check it.

One thing to watch: the levy is checked, and an expired levy is treated as a problem. Marina Bay Sands lists an expired entry levy among the reasons a patron may be asked to leave the casino, alongside problem gambling behavior, leaving children unattended, sleeping in the casino and undesirable behavior¹¹. So if your 24 hours have run out, top up before you sit down rather than after.

Rooms, hotels and the Paiza Club

Both casinos sit inside integrated resorts, and the hotel side is where the two properties feel most different.

Marina Bay Sands has 2,560 hotel rooms and suites across three 55-storey towers¹². The property opened in phases: a preview opening on April 27, 2010, at 3:18 p.m., which brought 963 hotel rooms, dozens of stores, part of the exhibition and convention center, some restaurants and bars, the event plaza and the casino¹⁰. The Sands SkyPark and the rest of the hotel followed at the grand opening on June 23¹⁰. The resort sits across the water from Singapore's Central Business District, which is why the skyline view from the towers is the thing people photograph¹³.

Resorts World Sentosa takes the other approach. It is a lifestyle destination resort on Sentosa, Singapore's resort island, and the casino is one component alongside Universal Studios Singapore, Adventure Cove Waterpark, the Singapore Oceanarium, a research and learning center, WEAVE and the Resorts World Convention Centre³. If you are traveling with family and want the casino to be one part of a day rather than the whole day, this is the property built for that.

On the premium side, both casinos run private and higher-limit gaming areas, which is standard across Asia. The VIP rooms and private gaming page explains how these rooms work, who gets access and what the minimums look like. For the loyalty side, casino rewards cards covers how tiers and points work at Asian properties, and casino comps explains what free drinks, food and rooms actually require.

Marina Bay Sands is also expanding. Full-scale construction of the expansion project was expected to begin by July 2025, with a targeted completion date of July 2029¹³. So the property you visit now is not the finished version.

Responsible gambling safeguards at both venues

Singapore's two casinos operate under a set of social safeguards that apply at both properties, and they are worth knowing about whether you are a visitor or a resident.

The main tools are:

• The entry levy for citizens and permanent residents
• A pre-commitment program
• Casino exclusion orders¹⁴

Marina Bay Sands states that it supports these government safeguards, and the same framework applies at Resorts World Sentosa¹⁴.

Self-exclusion is the one most people encounter. A self-exclusion order applies to both casinos, Resorts World Sentosa and Marina Bay Sands, so excluding yourself from one excludes you from the other¹⁵. There is a step-by-step process for applying, and it is handled through the National Council on Problem Gambling rather than the casinos themselves¹⁶. Family exclusion orders work the same way and also cover both casinos, which means a family member can apply to have someone barred from both properties¹⁷.

Marina Bay Sands runs its own program on top of the government framework. The property has a Responsible Gambling program that trains staff to assist customers who need help and to guide them toward support¹⁸. Staff are trained to identify signs of problem gambling, there are responsible gambling ambassadors on the floor, and a department oversees the whole effort¹¹. The ambassadors are identifiable by a badge, and there are more than 600 of them available 24 hours a day¹⁸.

If you want to reach the team directly, the email address is ResponsibleGambling@MarinaBaySands.com¹⁴. Details you give through these programs are kept confidential at all times¹⁴.

There are also house rules that apply to everyone. Intoxicated customers are not tolerated and may be asked to leave the casino¹¹. The same goes for sleeping in the casino, leaving children unattended, and problem gambling behavior¹¹. These are enforced at the door and on the floor, so they are practical rules rather than statements of principle.

For a wider look at how these tools work across the region, the responsible gambling desks and limits page covers visit limits and spend tools inside Asian casinos. If you want the country-level picture, including what is legal for residents versus visitors, start with Can I Gamble in Singapore?.