Marina Bay Sands Casino Guide: How to Play, Where to Stay, and What to Do Nearby

Getting onto the gaming floor

Singapore's casinos operate under the Casino Control Act, and entry rules differ by nationality. Foreign passport holders enter free — you'll show your passport at the entrance, and it's scanned to confirm you're not a Singapore citizen or permanent resident. Singapore citizens and permanent residents pay an entry levy to gamble at either of the country's two casinos (Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa); the levy has historically been charged as a daily or annual fee, but the exact amount changes from time to time, so check the current rate on the operator's site before you go if this applies to you. The minimum gambling age in Singapore is 21, and you'll need a valid passport or ID on hand, not just at entry — staff can ask again on the floor.

What's actually on the floor

The gaming floor spans a large area across the base of the three towers and includes the games you'd expect at a major international casino: baccarat (by far the most-played game on the floor, reflecting the property's largely Asian clientele), blackjack, roulette, sic bo, and a large slot machine hall. Table minimums vary by pit and by time of day — the main floor tends to run higher minimums in the evening, and there are separate premium rooms for higher-stakes play. Dress code is smart casual: no beachwear, flip-flops, or sleeveless tops for men. It's enforced more strictly in the evening than during the day.

The SkyPark pool is not for casino guests generally

This trips up a lot of first-time visitors: the famous infinity pool on top of the towers is reserved for hotel guests staying in the towers, not for the general public and not for casino patrons who aren't also staying there. If the pool is the main draw for you, you need a room reservation, not just a visit. The SkyPark observation deck (a separate, lower-tier viewing area) is open to the public for a ticket price and is the way to see the view without a hotel stay.

Where to stay

Staying in the hotel towers puts you steps from the casino floor and gives you SkyPark pool access, but rooms book up and prices swing hard around conventions and events — book well ahead if the dates matter. If you're visiting mainly for the casino and don't need the pool, hotels in the nearby Bugis or Raffles Place areas run noticeably cheaper and are a short MRT ride or taxi away, which is a reasonable trade-off if budget matters more than proximity.

Shopping and food without leaving the complex

The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands is a large mall built into the base of the complex, running from mass-market brands to luxury flagships, with a canal running through the middle where you can ride a sampan boat between shops. Food options range from hawker-style courts to a cluster of celebrity chef restaurants — this is one of the few places in Singapore where you can eat at a Michelin-associated restaurant and a S$5 hawker stall within the same building. If you're at the casino late and want food that isn't a hotel restaurant, the mall's food options generally run later than standalone restaurants elsewhere in the city.

What's worth doing nearby

You don't need to leave the immediate area to fill a day around your casino time:

Gardens by the Bay — the Supertree Grove and the two big conservatories (Cloud Forest and Flower Dome) are a short walk across the water, and the nightly light show at the Supertrees is free to watch from the boardwalk.
Merlion Park — the statue itself takes ten minutes, but it's directly across the bay and worth the walk for the skyline photo with the hotel towers in frame.
ArtScience Museum — the lotus-shaped building at the water's edge runs rotating exhibitions and is a solid rainy-day option.
Marina Bay waterfront — the promenade connecting all of the above is flat, well-lit at night, and walkable end to end in under an hour.

Practical tips for a casino trip here

Bring your passport every time you enter the gaming floor, not just on day one. Budget your gambling separately from your travel budget before you arrive, and decide your limit before you're on the floor, not during a session. The property runs 24 hours, but table minimums and crowd levels shift a lot between afternoon and late night — if you prefer quieter tables, weekday afternoons are noticeably calmer than weekend evenings.

Entry levies, age limits and dress codes are set by the operator and Singapore law and can change — confirm current rules on the official Marina Bay Sands site before you travel. If gambling stops being entertainment for you, see our responsible gambling page.