A neutral, dated explainer on prediction market legality in Singapore, a jurisdiction where the law treats real money wagering on event outcomes as gambling unless a specific licence is held. Information, not legal advice.
Last reviewed 2 April 2026 · Legality as of April 2026 · Information, not legal advice
As of April 2026, real money prediction markets are not legal for residents of Singapore. The Gambling Control Act 2022 treats wagering on event outcomes as gambling, and only a licensed operator may offer it, with Singapore Pools the sole state authorised provider. The Gambling Regulatory Authority has named platforms such as Polymarket as unlawful operators and moved to block access, and participation can carry a fine of up to SGD 10,000, up to six months imprisonment, or both.
The simplest way to read Singapore is that the question is settled rather than contested. The Gambling Control Act 2022 brought the former Remote Gambling Act and earlier statutes under one modern framework, and its definition of gambling reaches any staking of money on an uncertain event. A prediction market contract, where you pay to take a yes or no position and are paid if the outcome lands, fits that definition cleanly.
Because the only authorised betting operator is Singapore Pools, there is at present no licensing category an international event contract venue could apply under to serve residents lawfully. That is why platforms reachable elsewhere are unlawful here rather than merely unregulated. The Gambling Regulatory Authority has acted on that view, naming Polymarket and ordering access blocks.
The penalty structure is the part most readers underestimate. Singapore can pursue the individual placing the wager, with exposure of up to SGD 10,000, up to six months imprisonment, or both. We do not present a workaround, because there is no lawful one we can point to.
Whether a venue is reachable from a browser is not the same as whether it is lawful to use. We read the national rules through our explainer on how regulated exchanges differ from offshore venues, and we treat a contract price as an implied probability, not a forecast.
Every venue we track is either unlicensed for Singapore or operates outside the framework entirely. We do not show a compare or open account module on this page, because we only do so where a platform is genuinely legal and available to you, and none are here.
Named by the GRA as an unlawful operator with access blocked from Singapore as of April 2026. Reachability through a workaround does not make use lawful.
A United States regulated exchange with no Singapore licence. It is built for the US market and does not offer a lawful route for Singapore residents under the Gambling Control Act.
Its event contracts run under United States CFTC oversight, not a Singapore gambling licence, so they are not lawfully offered to residents here.
An international prediction market without a Singapore licence. Singapore assesses crypto and play money variants under the same technology neutral gambling test.
Operates a play money model in many regions, but any real money equivalent offered to Singapore residents would still require a local licence it does not hold.
An onchain venue. The GRA has stated plainly that an onchain wrapper does not move a wager outside the Gambling Control Act.
Platform availability is indicative and as of April 2026. We link to each profile for reference only. Confirm the live position with the Gambling Regulatory Authority before drawing any conclusion.
No. As of April 2026, real money prediction markets are unlicensed gambling under the Gambling Control Act 2022, and only Singapore Pools is state authorised to offer betting. The Gambling Regulatory Authority has blocked access to at least one major platform. This is general information, not legal advice.
The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Singapore, known as the GRA, licenses lawful gambling and enforces against unlicensed operators. It acts under the Gambling Control Act 2022, which consolidated the earlier Remote Gambling Act and related statutes.
The GRA classified Polymarket as an unlawful gambling operator and moved to block access from Singapore as of April 2026. Being able to reach a site through a workaround does not make participation lawful, and individuals can face penalties.
No. Singapore applies a technology neutral test, and the GRA has said an onchain or crypto wrapper does not change a wager into something other than gambling. The activity is assessed on what it does, not the rails it runs on.
Because no platform we track is genuinely legal and available to a Singapore resident. We only show a compare or open account path where a venue is lawful for you, so we hold it here rather than point you somewhere you cannot lawfully use.
Legal status aside, prediction markets can lose you money, and using an unlicensed venue adds the further risk that your funds and any dispute sit outside local protection. Stake only what you can afford to lose, never to chase a loss, and never on borrowed money. If it stops feeling like a free choice, step back and reach out to a national problem gambling support service in your country.
The status above reflects the Gambling Control Act 2022 and the Gambling Regulatory Authority position as we read them. These can change, so verify the current rules before you act.
Legality as of April 2026. General information, not legal advice.