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Marina Bay Sands pulls ahead as Sentosa casino licence nears renewal
Marina Bay Sands’ H1 2026 casino revenues topped US$2.1 billion, while Resorts World Sentosa posted less than a third of that figure, highlighting Sentosa’s weaker high-roller pull.
Singapore’s casino duopoly is increasingly lopsided as Marina Bay Sands outperforms Resorts World Sentosa, with the pressure now building on Sentosa Island as its gaming licence renewal approaches.
The gap is visible in revenue, with Marina Bay Sands reporting casino revenues above US$2.1 billion for the first half of 2026, compared with comparable figures at Resorts World Sentosa that were less than a third of that. The imbalance is reflected in how high-roller promotions play out across the harbor, including a Lunar New Year lucky draw that awarded a Mercedes-Benz CLA 200 at Marina Bay Sands versus a bottle of Martell Cognac at Resorts World Sentosa.
Singapore’s rebound since the post-Covid period has boosted tourist arrivals and attracted more wealthy gamblers from neighboring countries and China, while some business has shifted away from Macau due to Chinese government crackdowns on casino junkets and illegal money-exchange activities. Still, the struggle to draw more high rollers in Singapore’s wealth hub underscores challenges for Genting Singapore, the operator of Resorts World Sentosa.
In November 2024, Singapore’s Gambling Regulatory Authority described Sentosa’s tourism performance as “unsatisfactory” and issued a two-year casino licence starting February 2025, rather than the usual three-year term, setting up the current renewal cycle.