The Singapore Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) has announced the appointment of Tan Sin Heng Daniel as its new chief executive, replacing Teo Chun Ching.
Tan will officially begin his new role with the regulator on 2 June. He is currently commander of the Traffic Police for the Singapore Police Force, prior to which he served in various roles within the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
Current chief executive Teo will step down from the position on the same day that Tan takes over. He has led the regulator for several years and oversaw its transition from the Casino Regulatory Authority to the GRA in 2022.
During his tenure, Teo spearheaded the GRA’s digital and data transformation and improved system security and resilience. He also helped build advanced analytics to inform regulatory policies to tackle issues such as gambling harm and money laundering.
In addition, Teo worked with the MHA to make amendments to the Casino Control Act in 2024. This, the MHA said, helped modernise and future-proof the regulatory regime for casinos in Singapore.
“This enabled the GRA to effectively stay ahead of technological and gambling trends, respond to emerging gambling products, and develop holistic and coherent policies to regulate the gambling industry in Singapore,” the MHA said in a statement.
Tough regulation in Singapore
Singapore is among the most tightly controlled markets in Asia, with all legal gambling activities overseen by the GRA.
The market is limited to a small number of licensed operators. These include two integrated resorts – Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa – as well as state-run lottery and sports betting services provided by Singapore Pools.
In its role as regulator, the GRA is responsible for licensing and supervising operators. It also enforces compliance with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing requirements, and implements safeguards to mitigate gambling-related harm.
In addition, it holds enforcement powers to investigate illegal activities and block unlicensed offshore operators targeting the domestic market.
