Singapore casino visits by locals fall for third year running

Singapore citizens and permanent residents visited the city-state's two casinos less often in 2025 than the year before, according to the gambling regulator's latest annual report.

The number of local visits fell 3.2 percent year on year, marking the third consecutive year of decline since the disruption caused by the Covid 19 pandemic, according to GGRAsia, which cited the regulator's 2025-26 annual report.

What the numbers show

The decline covers the calendar year 2025 and applies specifically to Singapore citizens and permanent residents visiting the city's two casino properties. It does not, based on the available figures, distinguish between the two venues or break down the drop by age group, income band or frequency of visit.

What is clear is the direction of travel. Local footfall has now fallen in each of the three years following the pandemic, a period during which casinos worldwide have had to rebuild patronage after years of closures and travel restrictions.

Why local visits have been slipping

The report itself, as summarised, does not give a detailed explanation for the sustained drop. Gambling regulators and operators elsewhere have pointed to a mix of factors behind softer local demand in mature casino markets: changing leisure habits, competition from other entertainment options, and a generational shift as younger residents spend differently than older patrons who formed the habit of casino visits before the pandemic.

Singapore's casino market has historically relied on a combination of local patronage and international visitors, particularly from the wider region. A steady decline in local visits, even a modest one, is the kind of trend regulators and operators watch closely because it can signal longer term shifts in how residents choose to spend their leisure time and money.

Why it matters for Singapore's casino market

Singapore built its two integrated resorts, which combine casinos with hotels, convention space and entertainment, partly on the promise of drawing both local spending and foreign tourism. A multi-year decline in local casino visits does not necessarily mean overall revenue is falling, since tourist numbers and spending per visit can move independently. But it does suggest that whatever growth the market has seen since borders reopened has come disproportionately from sources other than resident gamblers.

For policymakers, the trend also touches on long standing questions about problem gambling and the balance between tourism revenue and protecting local residents, an issue regulators across Asia have been navigating as they weigh channelling demand towards licensed venues against curbing harm, a balancing act also visible in how Asia-Pacific regulators embrace channelisation to tackle gambling black markets.

What comes next

The regulator's annual report covers the 2025-26 period, and further detail on visitor numbers, revenue splits and demographic trends is likely to emerge as industry analysts and rating agencies review the full document. Whether the decline in local visits continues into 2026, or whether it stabilises, will be a key data point for operators assessing the health of Singapore's casino sector heading into its next phase of growth.