Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
19. Provide a route for genuine booking disruptions
A sudden storm makes an outdoor court unsafe, or a registered member becomes unexpectedly ill. A fair public service needs a defined exception review, not automatic acceptance of every change of mind as a refundable cancellation.
SportSG’s policies distinguish ordinary confirmed bookings, which are generally subject to no-cancellation conditions, from qualifying unplayable situations such as weather, haze, facility closure or authorised discretionary cases. Members should use official ActiveSG support, identify the booking and provide relevant evidence, without an assurance that all requests are approved.
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
19. Provide a route for genuine booking disruptions
A sudden storm makes an outdoor court unsafe, or a registered member becomes unexpectedly ill. A fair public service needs a defined exception review, not automatic acceptance of every change of mind as a refundable cancellation.
SportSG’s policies distinguish ordinary confirmed bookings, which are generally subject to no-cancellation conditions, from qualifying unplayable situations such as weather, haze, facility closure or authorised discretionary cases. Members should use official ActiveSG support, identify the booking and provide relevant evidence, without an assurance that all requests are approved.
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
18. Treat pool and gym passes as different products
A tennis court has a specific date and time allocation; a gym or pool pass grants eligible entry according to pass conditions, not exclusive occupation of the whole facility.
MyActiveSG+ supports gym and swim passes, with QR-code access as newer gantries are rolled out. Certain seniors aged sixty-five and above have free entry arrangements under the specific eligibility rules. A booking system should distinguish facility hire, entry pass and programme registration, or the wrong QR code will be presented at the gate.
19. Provide a route for genuine booking disruptions
A sudden storm makes an outdoor court unsafe, or a registered member becomes unexpectedly ill. A fair public service needs a defined exception review, not automatic acceptance of every change of mind as a refundable cancellation.
SportSG’s policies distinguish ordinary confirmed bookings, which are generally subject to no-cancellation conditions, from qualifying unplayable situations such as weather, haze, facility closure or authorised discretionary cases. Members should use official ActiveSG support, identify the booking and provide relevant evidence, without an assurance that all requests are approved.
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
18. Treat pool and gym passes as different products
A tennis court has a specific date and time allocation; a gym or pool pass grants eligible entry according to pass conditions, not exclusive occupation of the whole facility.
MyActiveSG+ supports gym and swim passes, with QR-code access as newer gantries are rolled out. Certain seniors aged sixty-five and above have free entry arrangements under the specific eligibility rules. A booking system should distinguish facility hire, entry pass and programme registration, or the wrong QR code will be presented at the gate.
19. Provide a route for genuine booking disruptions
A sudden storm makes an outdoor court unsafe, or a registered member becomes unexpectedly ill. A fair public service needs a defined exception review, not automatic acceptance of every change of mind as a refundable cancellation.
SportSG’s policies distinguish ordinary confirmed bookings, which are generally subject to no-cancellation conditions, from qualifying unplayable situations such as weather, haze, facility closure or authorised discretionary cases. Members should use official ActiveSG support, identify the booking and provide relevant evidence, without an assurance that all requests are approved.
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
17. Give parents authorised control over children’s bookings
A parent may want to reserve a court for a child under fifteen, while another parent is responsible for bringing the group to the venue. The transaction needs a valid linked-child relationship, and only authorised people should control the resulting slot.
MyActiveSG+ child-linking guidance lets parents link children under fifteen and book or ballot on their behalf. It says the parent who made the booking or ballot is responsible for paying and managing it. A child’s credit balance does not become an unrestricted wallet for unrelated accounts.
18. Treat pool and gym passes as different products
A tennis court has a specific date and time allocation; a gym or pool pass grants eligible entry according to pass conditions, not exclusive occupation of the whole facility.
MyActiveSG+ supports gym and swim passes, with QR-code access as newer gantries are rolled out. Certain seniors aged sixty-five and above have free entry arrangements under the specific eligibility rules. A booking system should distinguish facility hire, entry pass and programme registration, or the wrong QR code will be presented at the gate.
19. Provide a route for genuine booking disruptions
A sudden storm makes an outdoor court unsafe, or a registered member becomes unexpectedly ill. A fair public service needs a defined exception review, not automatic acceptance of every change of mind as a refundable cancellation.
SportSG’s policies distinguish ordinary confirmed bookings, which are generally subject to no-cancellation conditions, from qualifying unplayable situations such as weather, haze, facility closure or authorised discretionary cases. Members should use official ActiveSG support, identify the booking and provide relevant evidence, without an assurance that all requests are approved.
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
17. Give parents authorised control over children’s bookings
A parent may want to reserve a court for a child under fifteen, while another parent is responsible for bringing the group to the venue. The transaction needs a valid linked-child relationship, and only authorised people should control the resulting slot.
MyActiveSG+ child-linking guidance lets parents link children under fifteen and book or ballot on their behalf. It says the parent who made the booking or ballot is responsible for paying and managing it. A child’s credit balance does not become an unrestricted wallet for unrelated accounts.
18. Treat pool and gym passes as different products
A tennis court has a specific date and time allocation; a gym or pool pass grants eligible entry according to pass conditions, not exclusive occupation of the whole facility.
MyActiveSG+ supports gym and swim passes, with QR-code access as newer gantries are rolled out. Certain seniors aged sixty-five and above have free entry arrangements under the specific eligibility rules. A booking system should distinguish facility hire, entry pass and programme registration, or the wrong QR code will be presented at the gate.
19. Provide a route for genuine booking disruptions
A sudden storm makes an outdoor court unsafe, or a registered member becomes unexpectedly ill. A fair public service needs a defined exception review, not automatic acceptance of every change of mind as a refundable cancellation.
SportSG’s policies distinguish ordinary confirmed bookings, which are generally subject to no-cancellation conditions, from qualifying unplayable situations such as weather, haze, facility closure or authorised discretionary cases. Members should use official ActiveSG support, identify the booking and provide relevant evidence, without an assurance that all requests are approved.
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
16. Communicate by the notification channel that is actually used
A member may be waiting for an SMS confirmation that will not arrive because the platform changed its communication policy. Absence of text does not necessarily mean the booking failed.
Since 31 August 2025, MyActiveSG+ has delivered many non-essential notifications, including facility booking confirmations and unsuccessful ballot results, by email rather than SMS. Winning-ballot and relevant cancellation notifications may still use additional channels. The platform should make the registered email and the in-account booking status easy to find.
17. Give parents authorised control over children’s bookings
A parent may want to reserve a court for a child under fifteen, while another parent is responsible for bringing the group to the venue. The transaction needs a valid linked-child relationship, and only authorised people should control the resulting slot.
MyActiveSG+ child-linking guidance lets parents link children under fifteen and book or ballot on their behalf. It says the parent who made the booking or ballot is responsible for paying and managing it. A child’s credit balance does not become an unrestricted wallet for unrelated accounts.
18. Treat pool and gym passes as different products
A tennis court has a specific date and time allocation; a gym or pool pass grants eligible entry according to pass conditions, not exclusive occupation of the whole facility.
MyActiveSG+ supports gym and swim passes, with QR-code access as newer gantries are rolled out. Certain seniors aged sixty-five and above have free entry arrangements under the specific eligibility rules. A booking system should distinguish facility hire, entry pass and programme registration, or the wrong QR code will be presented at the gate.
19. Provide a route for genuine booking disruptions
A sudden storm makes an outdoor court unsafe, or a registered member becomes unexpectedly ill. A fair public service needs a defined exception review, not automatic acceptance of every change of mind as a refundable cancellation.
SportSG’s policies distinguish ordinary confirmed bookings, which are generally subject to no-cancellation conditions, from qualifying unplayable situations such as weather, haze, facility closure or authorised discretionary cases. Members should use official ActiveSG support, identify the booking and provide relevant evidence, without an assurance that all requests are approved.
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
16. Communicate by the notification channel that is actually used
A member may be waiting for an SMS confirmation that will not arrive because the platform changed its communication policy. Absence of text does not necessarily mean the booking failed.
Since 31 August 2025, MyActiveSG+ has delivered many non-essential notifications, including facility booking confirmations and unsuccessful ballot results, by email rather than SMS. Winning-ballot and relevant cancellation notifications may still use additional channels. The platform should make the registered email and the in-account booking status easy to find.
17. Give parents authorised control over children’s bookings
A parent may want to reserve a court for a child under fifteen, while another parent is responsible for bringing the group to the venue. The transaction needs a valid linked-child relationship, and only authorised people should control the resulting slot.
MyActiveSG+ child-linking guidance lets parents link children under fifteen and book or ballot on their behalf. It says the parent who made the booking or ballot is responsible for paying and managing it. A child’s credit balance does not become an unrestricted wallet for unrelated accounts.
18. Treat pool and gym passes as different products
A tennis court has a specific date and time allocation; a gym or pool pass grants eligible entry according to pass conditions, not exclusive occupation of the whole facility.
MyActiveSG+ supports gym and swim passes, with QR-code access as newer gantries are rolled out. Certain seniors aged sixty-five and above have free entry arrangements under the specific eligibility rules. A booking system should distinguish facility hire, entry pass and programme registration, or the wrong QR code will be presented at the gate.
19. Provide a route for genuine booking disruptions
A sudden storm makes an outdoor court unsafe, or a registered member becomes unexpectedly ill. A fair public service needs a defined exception review, not automatic acceptance of every change of mind as a refundable cancellation.
SportSG’s policies distinguish ordinary confirmed bookings, which are generally subject to no-cancellation conditions, from qualifying unplayable situations such as weather, haze, facility closure or authorised discretionary cases. Members should use official ActiveSG support, identify the booking and provide relevant evidence, without an assurance that all requests are approved.
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
Even a correctly paid booking may become unusable if the venue closes for maintenance or weather safety. A stale booking can cause a family to travel across the island for no possible game.
MyActiveSG+ publishes booking and cancellation notifications as well as closure information. The service should connect maintenance and operational restrictions to affected users promptly, with a clear route to legitimate replacement or refund where applicable.
16. Communicate by the notification channel that is actually used
A member may be waiting for an SMS confirmation that will not arrive because the platform changed its communication policy. Absence of text does not necessarily mean the booking failed.
Since 31 August 2025, MyActiveSG+ has delivered many non-essential notifications, including facility booking confirmations and unsuccessful ballot results, by email rather than SMS. Winning-ballot and relevant cancellation notifications may still use additional channels. The platform should make the registered email and the in-account booking status easy to find.
17. Give parents authorised control over children’s bookings
A parent may want to reserve a court for a child under fifteen, while another parent is responsible for bringing the group to the venue. The transaction needs a valid linked-child relationship, and only authorised people should control the resulting slot.
MyActiveSG+ child-linking guidance lets parents link children under fifteen and book or ballot on their behalf. It says the parent who made the booking or ballot is responsible for paying and managing it. A child’s credit balance does not become an unrestricted wallet for unrelated accounts.
18. Treat pool and gym passes as different products
A tennis court has a specific date and time allocation; a gym or pool pass grants eligible entry according to pass conditions, not exclusive occupation of the whole facility.
MyActiveSG+ supports gym and swim passes, with QR-code access as newer gantries are rolled out. Certain seniors aged sixty-five and above have free entry arrangements under the specific eligibility rules. A booking system should distinguish facility hire, entry pass and programme registration, or the wrong QR code will be presented at the gate.
19. Provide a route for genuine booking disruptions
A sudden storm makes an outdoor court unsafe, or a registered member becomes unexpectedly ill. A fair public service needs a defined exception review, not automatic acceptance of every change of mind as a refundable cancellation.
SportSG’s policies distinguish ordinary confirmed bookings, which are generally subject to no-cancellation conditions, from qualifying unplayable situations such as weather, haze, facility closure or authorised discretionary cases. Members should use official ActiveSG support, identify the booking and provide relevant evidence, without an assurance that all requests are approved.
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
Even a correctly paid booking may become unusable if the venue closes for maintenance or weather safety. A stale booking can cause a family to travel across the island for no possible game.
MyActiveSG+ publishes booking and cancellation notifications as well as closure information. The service should connect maintenance and operational restrictions to affected users promptly, with a clear route to legitimate replacement or refund where applicable.
16. Communicate by the notification channel that is actually used
A member may be waiting for an SMS confirmation that will not arrive because the platform changed its communication policy. Absence of text does not necessarily mean the booking failed.
Since 31 August 2025, MyActiveSG+ has delivered many non-essential notifications, including facility booking confirmations and unsuccessful ballot results, by email rather than SMS. Winning-ballot and relevant cancellation notifications may still use additional channels. The platform should make the registered email and the in-account booking status easy to find.
17. Give parents authorised control over children’s bookings
A parent may want to reserve a court for a child under fifteen, while another parent is responsible for bringing the group to the venue. The transaction needs a valid linked-child relationship, and only authorised people should control the resulting slot.
MyActiveSG+ child-linking guidance lets parents link children under fifteen and book or ballot on their behalf. It says the parent who made the booking or ballot is responsible for paying and managing it. A child’s credit balance does not become an unrestricted wallet for unrelated accounts.
18. Treat pool and gym passes as different products
A tennis court has a specific date and time allocation; a gym or pool pass grants eligible entry according to pass conditions, not exclusive occupation of the whole facility.
MyActiveSG+ supports gym and swim passes, with QR-code access as newer gantries are rolled out. Certain seniors aged sixty-five and above have free entry arrangements under the specific eligibility rules. A booking system should distinguish facility hire, entry pass and programme registration, or the wrong QR code will be presented at the gate.
19. Provide a route for genuine booking disruptions
A sudden storm makes an outdoor court unsafe, or a registered member becomes unexpectedly ill. A fair public service needs a defined exception review, not automatic acceptance of every change of mind as a refundable cancellation.
SportSG’s policies distinguish ordinary confirmed bookings, which are generally subject to no-cancellation conditions, from qualifying unplayable situations such as weather, haze, facility closure or authorised discretionary cases. Members should use official ActiveSG support, identify the booking and provide relevant evidence, without an assurance that all requests are approved.
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
14. Date credit-expiry information rather than assuming permanence
Some members hold leftover credits from earlier national incentive campaigns and think they remain available forever. A fee summary should rely on the actual account balance and current validity.
SportSG’s 2025 credit-announcement guidance rolled unused ActiveSG credits to 31 December 2026, with subsequent rollover conditions tied to qualifying 2026 transaction activity. A public booking guide should label that timetable and defer to the member’s real account rather than promise every incentive is perpetual.
Even a correctly paid booking may become unusable if the venue closes for maintenance or weather safety. A stale booking can cause a family to travel across the island for no possible game.
MyActiveSG+ publishes booking and cancellation notifications as well as closure information. The service should connect maintenance and operational restrictions to affected users promptly, with a clear route to legitimate replacement or refund where applicable.
16. Communicate by the notification channel that is actually used
A member may be waiting for an SMS confirmation that will not arrive because the platform changed its communication policy. Absence of text does not necessarily mean the booking failed.
Since 31 August 2025, MyActiveSG+ has delivered many non-essential notifications, including facility booking confirmations and unsuccessful ballot results, by email rather than SMS. Winning-ballot and relevant cancellation notifications may still use additional channels. The platform should make the registered email and the in-account booking status easy to find.
17. Give parents authorised control over children’s bookings
A parent may want to reserve a court for a child under fifteen, while another parent is responsible for bringing the group to the venue. The transaction needs a valid linked-child relationship, and only authorised people should control the resulting slot.
MyActiveSG+ child-linking guidance lets parents link children under fifteen and book or ballot on their behalf. It says the parent who made the booking or ballot is responsible for paying and managing it. A child’s credit balance does not become an unrestricted wallet for unrelated accounts.
18. Treat pool and gym passes as different products
A tennis court has a specific date and time allocation; a gym or pool pass grants eligible entry according to pass conditions, not exclusive occupation of the whole facility.
MyActiveSG+ supports gym and swim passes, with QR-code access as newer gantries are rolled out. Certain seniors aged sixty-five and above have free entry arrangements under the specific eligibility rules. A booking system should distinguish facility hire, entry pass and programme registration, or the wrong QR code will be presented at the gate.
19. Provide a route for genuine booking disruptions
A sudden storm makes an outdoor court unsafe, or a registered member becomes unexpectedly ill. A fair public service needs a defined exception review, not automatic acceptance of every change of mind as a refundable cancellation.
SportSG’s policies distinguish ordinary confirmed bookings, which are generally subject to no-cancellation conditions, from qualifying unplayable situations such as weather, haze, facility closure or authorised discretionary cases. Members should use official ActiveSG support, identify the booking and provide relevant evidence, without an assurance that all requests are approved.
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
14. Date credit-expiry information rather than assuming permanence
Some members hold leftover credits from earlier national incentive campaigns and think they remain available forever. A fee summary should rely on the actual account balance and current validity.
SportSG’s 2025 credit-announcement guidance rolled unused ActiveSG credits to 31 December 2026, with subsequent rollover conditions tied to qualifying 2026 transaction activity. A public booking guide should label that timetable and defer to the member’s real account rather than promise every incentive is perpetual.
Even a correctly paid booking may become unusable if the venue closes for maintenance or weather safety. A stale booking can cause a family to travel across the island for no possible game.
MyActiveSG+ publishes booking and cancellation notifications as well as closure information. The service should connect maintenance and operational restrictions to affected users promptly, with a clear route to legitimate replacement or refund where applicable.
16. Communicate by the notification channel that is actually used
A member may be waiting for an SMS confirmation that will not arrive because the platform changed its communication policy. Absence of text does not necessarily mean the booking failed.
Since 31 August 2025, MyActiveSG+ has delivered many non-essential notifications, including facility booking confirmations and unsuccessful ballot results, by email rather than SMS. Winning-ballot and relevant cancellation notifications may still use additional channels. The platform should make the registered email and the in-account booking status easy to find.
17. Give parents authorised control over children’s bookings
A parent may want to reserve a court for a child under fifteen, while another parent is responsible for bringing the group to the venue. The transaction needs a valid linked-child relationship, and only authorised people should control the resulting slot.
MyActiveSG+ child-linking guidance lets parents link children under fifteen and book or ballot on their behalf. It says the parent who made the booking or ballot is responsible for paying and managing it. A child’s credit balance does not become an unrestricted wallet for unrelated accounts.
18. Treat pool and gym passes as different products
A tennis court has a specific date and time allocation; a gym or pool pass grants eligible entry according to pass conditions, not exclusive occupation of the whole facility.
MyActiveSG+ supports gym and swim passes, with QR-code access as newer gantries are rolled out. Certain seniors aged sixty-five and above have free entry arrangements under the specific eligibility rules. A booking system should distinguish facility hire, entry pass and programme registration, or the wrong QR code will be presented at the gate.
19. Provide a route for genuine booking disruptions
A sudden storm makes an outdoor court unsafe, or a registered member becomes unexpectedly ill. A fair public service needs a defined exception review, not automatic acceptance of every change of mind as a refundable cancellation.
SportSG’s policies distinguish ordinary confirmed bookings, which are generally subject to no-cancellation conditions, from qualifying unplayable situations such as weather, haze, facility closure or authorised discretionary cases. Members should use official ActiveSG support, identify the booking and provide relevant evidence, without an assurance that all requests are approved.
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
13. Show total price, credit use and payment status
A member may have ActiveSG credits and want to use them toward booking. The service should clearly state the eligible amount, any cash balance, expiry conditions and whether the charge successfully settled.
MyActiveSG+ offers ActiveSG credit use for qualifying facility bookings. A successful card or PayNow payment and a confirmed slot are both necessary service records. Any saved payment method belongs to the real account holder, not a broker offering a temporary court.
14. Date credit-expiry information rather than assuming permanence
Some members hold leftover credits from earlier national incentive campaigns and think they remain available forever. A fee summary should rely on the actual account balance and current validity.
SportSG’s 2025 credit-announcement guidance rolled unused ActiveSG credits to 31 December 2026, with subsequent rollover conditions tied to qualifying 2026 transaction activity. A public booking guide should label that timetable and defer to the member’s real account rather than promise every incentive is perpetual.
Even a correctly paid booking may become unusable if the venue closes for maintenance or weather safety. A stale booking can cause a family to travel across the island for no possible game.
MyActiveSG+ publishes booking and cancellation notifications as well as closure information. The service should connect maintenance and operational restrictions to affected users promptly, with a clear route to legitimate replacement or refund where applicable.
16. Communicate by the notification channel that is actually used
A member may be waiting for an SMS confirmation that will not arrive because the platform changed its communication policy. Absence of text does not necessarily mean the booking failed.
Since 31 August 2025, MyActiveSG+ has delivered many non-essential notifications, including facility booking confirmations and unsuccessful ballot results, by email rather than SMS. Winning-ballot and relevant cancellation notifications may still use additional channels. The platform should make the registered email and the in-account booking status easy to find.
17. Give parents authorised control over children’s bookings
A parent may want to reserve a court for a child under fifteen, while another parent is responsible for bringing the group to the venue. The transaction needs a valid linked-child relationship, and only authorised people should control the resulting slot.
MyActiveSG+ child-linking guidance lets parents link children under fifteen and book or ballot on their behalf. It says the parent who made the booking or ballot is responsible for paying and managing it. A child’s credit balance does not become an unrestricted wallet for unrelated accounts.
18. Treat pool and gym passes as different products
A tennis court has a specific date and time allocation; a gym or pool pass grants eligible entry according to pass conditions, not exclusive occupation of the whole facility.
MyActiveSG+ supports gym and swim passes, with QR-code access as newer gantries are rolled out. Certain seniors aged sixty-five and above have free entry arrangements under the specific eligibility rules. A booking system should distinguish facility hire, entry pass and programme registration, or the wrong QR code will be presented at the gate.
19. Provide a route for genuine booking disruptions
A sudden storm makes an outdoor court unsafe, or a registered member becomes unexpectedly ill. A fair public service needs a defined exception review, not automatic acceptance of every change of mind as a refundable cancellation.
SportSG’s policies distinguish ordinary confirmed bookings, which are generally subject to no-cancellation conditions, from qualifying unplayable situations such as weather, haze, facility closure or authorised discretionary cases. Members should use official ActiveSG support, identify the booking and provide relevant evidence, without an assurance that all requests are approved.
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
13. Show total price, credit use and payment status
A member may have ActiveSG credits and want to use them toward booking. The service should clearly state the eligible amount, any cash balance, expiry conditions and whether the charge successfully settled.
MyActiveSG+ offers ActiveSG credit use for qualifying facility bookings. A successful card or PayNow payment and a confirmed slot are both necessary service records. Any saved payment method belongs to the real account holder, not a broker offering a temporary court.
14. Date credit-expiry information rather than assuming permanence
Some members hold leftover credits from earlier national incentive campaigns and think they remain available forever. A fee summary should rely on the actual account balance and current validity.
SportSG’s 2025 credit-announcement guidance rolled unused ActiveSG credits to 31 December 2026, with subsequent rollover conditions tied to qualifying 2026 transaction activity. A public booking guide should label that timetable and defer to the member’s real account rather than promise every incentive is perpetual.
Even a correctly paid booking may become unusable if the venue closes for maintenance or weather safety. A stale booking can cause a family to travel across the island for no possible game.
MyActiveSG+ publishes booking and cancellation notifications as well as closure information. The service should connect maintenance and operational restrictions to affected users promptly, with a clear route to legitimate replacement or refund where applicable.
16. Communicate by the notification channel that is actually used
A member may be waiting for an SMS confirmation that will not arrive because the platform changed its communication policy. Absence of text does not necessarily mean the booking failed.
Since 31 August 2025, MyActiveSG+ has delivered many non-essential notifications, including facility booking confirmations and unsuccessful ballot results, by email rather than SMS. Winning-ballot and relevant cancellation notifications may still use additional channels. The platform should make the registered email and the in-account booking status easy to find.
17. Give parents authorised control over children’s bookings
A parent may want to reserve a court for a child under fifteen, while another parent is responsible for bringing the group to the venue. The transaction needs a valid linked-child relationship, and only authorised people should control the resulting slot.
MyActiveSG+ child-linking guidance lets parents link children under fifteen and book or ballot on their behalf. It says the parent who made the booking or ballot is responsible for paying and managing it. A child’s credit balance does not become an unrestricted wallet for unrelated accounts.
18. Treat pool and gym passes as different products
A tennis court has a specific date and time allocation; a gym or pool pass grants eligible entry according to pass conditions, not exclusive occupation of the whole facility.
MyActiveSG+ supports gym and swim passes, with QR-code access as newer gantries are rolled out. Certain seniors aged sixty-five and above have free entry arrangements under the specific eligibility rules. A booking system should distinguish facility hire, entry pass and programme registration, or the wrong QR code will be presented at the gate.
19. Provide a route for genuine booking disruptions
A sudden storm makes an outdoor court unsafe, or a registered member becomes unexpectedly ill. A fair public service needs a defined exception review, not automatic acceptance of every change of mind as a refundable cancellation.
SportSG’s policies distinguish ordinary confirmed bookings, which are generally subject to no-cancellation conditions, from qualifying unplayable situations such as weather, haze, facility closure or authorised discretionary cases. Members should use official ActiveSG support, identify the booking and provide relevant evidence, without an assurance that all requests are approved.
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
12. Make the hirer’s physical presence part of the booking
A group may ask an eligible friend to book a slot while another group plans to use the court. The name on the booking then no longer identifies the person actually present, weakening the public allocation process.
ActiveSG states the member who booked must be present and participating during the play session, and staff may verify the booking on site. The official guidance warns of cancellation and no refund for non-compliance. That rule should appear on the confirmation, not only in distant legal terms.
13. Show total price, credit use and payment status
A member may have ActiveSG credits and want to use them toward booking. The service should clearly state the eligible amount, any cash balance, expiry conditions and whether the charge successfully settled.
MyActiveSG+ offers ActiveSG credit use for qualifying facility bookings. A successful card or PayNow payment and a confirmed slot are both necessary service records. Any saved payment method belongs to the real account holder, not a broker offering a temporary court.
14. Date credit-expiry information rather than assuming permanence
Some members hold leftover credits from earlier national incentive campaigns and think they remain available forever. A fee summary should rely on the actual account balance and current validity.
SportSG’s 2025 credit-announcement guidance rolled unused ActiveSG credits to 31 December 2026, with subsequent rollover conditions tied to qualifying 2026 transaction activity. A public booking guide should label that timetable and defer to the member’s real account rather than promise every incentive is perpetual.
Even a correctly paid booking may become unusable if the venue closes for maintenance or weather safety. A stale booking can cause a family to travel across the island for no possible game.
MyActiveSG+ publishes booking and cancellation notifications as well as closure information. The service should connect maintenance and operational restrictions to affected users promptly, with a clear route to legitimate replacement or refund where applicable.
16. Communicate by the notification channel that is actually used
A member may be waiting for an SMS confirmation that will not arrive because the platform changed its communication policy. Absence of text does not necessarily mean the booking failed.
Since 31 August 2025, MyActiveSG+ has delivered many non-essential notifications, including facility booking confirmations and unsuccessful ballot results, by email rather than SMS. Winning-ballot and relevant cancellation notifications may still use additional channels. The platform should make the registered email and the in-account booking status easy to find.
17. Give parents authorised control over children’s bookings
A parent may want to reserve a court for a child under fifteen, while another parent is responsible for bringing the group to the venue. The transaction needs a valid linked-child relationship, and only authorised people should control the resulting slot.
MyActiveSG+ child-linking guidance lets parents link children under fifteen and book or ballot on their behalf. It says the parent who made the booking or ballot is responsible for paying and managing it. A child’s credit balance does not become an unrestricted wallet for unrelated accounts.
18. Treat pool and gym passes as different products
A tennis court has a specific date and time allocation; a gym or pool pass grants eligible entry according to pass conditions, not exclusive occupation of the whole facility.
MyActiveSG+ supports gym and swim passes, with QR-code access as newer gantries are rolled out. Certain seniors aged sixty-five and above have free entry arrangements under the specific eligibility rules. A booking system should distinguish facility hire, entry pass and programme registration, or the wrong QR code will be presented at the gate.
19. Provide a route for genuine booking disruptions
A sudden storm makes an outdoor court unsafe, or a registered member becomes unexpectedly ill. A fair public service needs a defined exception review, not automatic acceptance of every change of mind as a refundable cancellation.
SportSG’s policies distinguish ordinary confirmed bookings, which are generally subject to no-cancellation conditions, from qualifying unplayable situations such as weather, haze, facility closure or authorised discretionary cases. Members should use official ActiveSG support, identify the booking and provide relevant evidence, without an assurance that all requests are approved.
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
12. Make the hirer’s physical presence part of the booking
A group may ask an eligible friend to book a slot while another group plans to use the court. The name on the booking then no longer identifies the person actually present, weakening the public allocation process.
ActiveSG states the member who booked must be present and participating during the play session, and staff may verify the booking on site. The official guidance warns of cancellation and no refund for non-compliance. That rule should appear on the confirmation, not only in distant legal terms.
13. Show total price, credit use and payment status
A member may have ActiveSG credits and want to use them toward booking. The service should clearly state the eligible amount, any cash balance, expiry conditions and whether the charge successfully settled.
MyActiveSG+ offers ActiveSG credit use for qualifying facility bookings. A successful card or PayNow payment and a confirmed slot are both necessary service records. Any saved payment method belongs to the real account holder, not a broker offering a temporary court.
14. Date credit-expiry information rather than assuming permanence
Some members hold leftover credits from earlier national incentive campaigns and think they remain available forever. A fee summary should rely on the actual account balance and current validity.
SportSG’s 2025 credit-announcement guidance rolled unused ActiveSG credits to 31 December 2026, with subsequent rollover conditions tied to qualifying 2026 transaction activity. A public booking guide should label that timetable and defer to the member’s real account rather than promise every incentive is perpetual.
Even a correctly paid booking may become unusable if the venue closes for maintenance or weather safety. A stale booking can cause a family to travel across the island for no possible game.
MyActiveSG+ publishes booking and cancellation notifications as well as closure information. The service should connect maintenance and operational restrictions to affected users promptly, with a clear route to legitimate replacement or refund where applicable.
16. Communicate by the notification channel that is actually used
A member may be waiting for an SMS confirmation that will not arrive because the platform changed its communication policy. Absence of text does not necessarily mean the booking failed.
Since 31 August 2025, MyActiveSG+ has delivered many non-essential notifications, including facility booking confirmations and unsuccessful ballot results, by email rather than SMS. Winning-ballot and relevant cancellation notifications may still use additional channels. The platform should make the registered email and the in-account booking status easy to find.
17. Give parents authorised control over children’s bookings
A parent may want to reserve a court for a child under fifteen, while another parent is responsible for bringing the group to the venue. The transaction needs a valid linked-child relationship, and only authorised people should control the resulting slot.
MyActiveSG+ child-linking guidance lets parents link children under fifteen and book or ballot on their behalf. It says the parent who made the booking or ballot is responsible for paying and managing it. A child’s credit balance does not become an unrestricted wallet for unrelated accounts.
18. Treat pool and gym passes as different products
A tennis court has a specific date and time allocation; a gym or pool pass grants eligible entry according to pass conditions, not exclusive occupation of the whole facility.
MyActiveSG+ supports gym and swim passes, with QR-code access as newer gantries are rolled out. Certain seniors aged sixty-five and above have free entry arrangements under the specific eligibility rules. A booking system should distinguish facility hire, entry pass and programme registration, or the wrong QR code will be presented at the gate.
19. Provide a route for genuine booking disruptions
A sudden storm makes an outdoor court unsafe, or a registered member becomes unexpectedly ill. A fair public service needs a defined exception review, not automatic acceptance of every change of mind as a refundable cancellation.
SportSG’s policies distinguish ordinary confirmed bookings, which are generally subject to no-cancellation conditions, from qualifying unplayable situations such as weather, haze, facility closure or authorised discretionary cases. Members should use official ActiveSG support, identify the booking and provide relevant evidence, without an assurance that all requests are approved.
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
11. State the July 2026 resale and advertising prohibition
A sports booking can be marketed online as ‘court guaranteed, transfer for a fee.’ That is not an ordinary authorised resale of private property; it can deprive another member of a fair public slot.
SportSG prohibits onselling, subletting and assigning ActiveSG bookings. Effective 15 July 2026, advertising a slot or encouraging others to resell it on social platforms is also an infringement. ActiveSG may cancel the slot without refund and suspend the offender, with escalating consequences under its rules. A public guide should discourage buying from an unauthorised seller.
12. Make the hirer’s physical presence part of the booking
A group may ask an eligible friend to book a slot while another group plans to use the court. The name on the booking then no longer identifies the person actually present, weakening the public allocation process.
ActiveSG states the member who booked must be present and participating during the play session, and staff may verify the booking on site. The official guidance warns of cancellation and no refund for non-compliance. That rule should appear on the confirmation, not only in distant legal terms.
13. Show total price, credit use and payment status
A member may have ActiveSG credits and want to use them toward booking. The service should clearly state the eligible amount, any cash balance, expiry conditions and whether the charge successfully settled.
MyActiveSG+ offers ActiveSG credit use for qualifying facility bookings. A successful card or PayNow payment and a confirmed slot are both necessary service records. Any saved payment method belongs to the real account holder, not a broker offering a temporary court.
14. Date credit-expiry information rather than assuming permanence
Some members hold leftover credits from earlier national incentive campaigns and think they remain available forever. A fee summary should rely on the actual account balance and current validity.
SportSG’s 2025 credit-announcement guidance rolled unused ActiveSG credits to 31 December 2026, with subsequent rollover conditions tied to qualifying 2026 transaction activity. A public booking guide should label that timetable and defer to the member’s real account rather than promise every incentive is perpetual.
Even a correctly paid booking may become unusable if the venue closes for maintenance or weather safety. A stale booking can cause a family to travel across the island for no possible game.
MyActiveSG+ publishes booking and cancellation notifications as well as closure information. The service should connect maintenance and operational restrictions to affected users promptly, with a clear route to legitimate replacement or refund where applicable.
16. Communicate by the notification channel that is actually used
A member may be waiting for an SMS confirmation that will not arrive because the platform changed its communication policy. Absence of text does not necessarily mean the booking failed.
Since 31 August 2025, MyActiveSG+ has delivered many non-essential notifications, including facility booking confirmations and unsuccessful ballot results, by email rather than SMS. Winning-ballot and relevant cancellation notifications may still use additional channels. The platform should make the registered email and the in-account booking status easy to find.
17. Give parents authorised control over children’s bookings
A parent may want to reserve a court for a child under fifteen, while another parent is responsible for bringing the group to the venue. The transaction needs a valid linked-child relationship, and only authorised people should control the resulting slot.
MyActiveSG+ child-linking guidance lets parents link children under fifteen and book or ballot on their behalf. It says the parent who made the booking or ballot is responsible for paying and managing it. A child’s credit balance does not become an unrestricted wallet for unrelated accounts.
18. Treat pool and gym passes as different products
A tennis court has a specific date and time allocation; a gym or pool pass grants eligible entry according to pass conditions, not exclusive occupation of the whole facility.
MyActiveSG+ supports gym and swim passes, with QR-code access as newer gantries are rolled out. Certain seniors aged sixty-five and above have free entry arrangements under the specific eligibility rules. A booking system should distinguish facility hire, entry pass and programme registration, or the wrong QR code will be presented at the gate.
19. Provide a route for genuine booking disruptions
A sudden storm makes an outdoor court unsafe, or a registered member becomes unexpectedly ill. A fair public service needs a defined exception review, not automatic acceptance of every change of mind as a refundable cancellation.
SportSG’s policies distinguish ordinary confirmed bookings, which are generally subject to no-cancellation conditions, from qualifying unplayable situations such as weather, haze, facility closure or authorised discretionary cases. Members should use official ActiveSG support, identify the booking and provide relevant evidence, without an assurance that all requests are approved.
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
11. State the July 2026 resale and advertising prohibition
A sports booking can be marketed online as ‘court guaranteed, transfer for a fee.’ That is not an ordinary authorised resale of private property; it can deprive another member of a fair public slot.
SportSG prohibits onselling, subletting and assigning ActiveSG bookings. Effective 15 July 2026, advertising a slot or encouraging others to resell it on social platforms is also an infringement. ActiveSG may cancel the slot without refund and suspend the offender, with escalating consequences under its rules. A public guide should discourage buying from an unauthorised seller.
12. Make the hirer’s physical presence part of the booking
A group may ask an eligible friend to book a slot while another group plans to use the court. The name on the booking then no longer identifies the person actually present, weakening the public allocation process.
ActiveSG states the member who booked must be present and participating during the play session, and staff may verify the booking on site. The official guidance warns of cancellation and no refund for non-compliance. That rule should appear on the confirmation, not only in distant legal terms.
13. Show total price, credit use and payment status
A member may have ActiveSG credits and want to use them toward booking. The service should clearly state the eligible amount, any cash balance, expiry conditions and whether the charge successfully settled.
MyActiveSG+ offers ActiveSG credit use for qualifying facility bookings. A successful card or PayNow payment and a confirmed slot are both necessary service records. Any saved payment method belongs to the real account holder, not a broker offering a temporary court.
14. Date credit-expiry information rather than assuming permanence
Some members hold leftover credits from earlier national incentive campaigns and think they remain available forever. A fee summary should rely on the actual account balance and current validity.
SportSG’s 2025 credit-announcement guidance rolled unused ActiveSG credits to 31 December 2026, with subsequent rollover conditions tied to qualifying 2026 transaction activity. A public booking guide should label that timetable and defer to the member’s real account rather than promise every incentive is perpetual.
Even a correctly paid booking may become unusable if the venue closes for maintenance or weather safety. A stale booking can cause a family to travel across the island for no possible game.
MyActiveSG+ publishes booking and cancellation notifications as well as closure information. The service should connect maintenance and operational restrictions to affected users promptly, with a clear route to legitimate replacement or refund where applicable.
16. Communicate by the notification channel that is actually used
A member may be waiting for an SMS confirmation that will not arrive because the platform changed its communication policy. Absence of text does not necessarily mean the booking failed.
Since 31 August 2025, MyActiveSG+ has delivered many non-essential notifications, including facility booking confirmations and unsuccessful ballot results, by email rather than SMS. Winning-ballot and relevant cancellation notifications may still use additional channels. The platform should make the registered email and the in-account booking status easy to find.
17. Give parents authorised control over children’s bookings
A parent may want to reserve a court for a child under fifteen, while another parent is responsible for bringing the group to the venue. The transaction needs a valid linked-child relationship, and only authorised people should control the resulting slot.
MyActiveSG+ child-linking guidance lets parents link children under fifteen and book or ballot on their behalf. It says the parent who made the booking or ballot is responsible for paying and managing it. A child’s credit balance does not become an unrestricted wallet for unrelated accounts.
18. Treat pool and gym passes as different products
A tennis court has a specific date and time allocation; a gym or pool pass grants eligible entry according to pass conditions, not exclusive occupation of the whole facility.
MyActiveSG+ supports gym and swim passes, with QR-code access as newer gantries are rolled out. Certain seniors aged sixty-five and above have free entry arrangements under the specific eligibility rules. A booking system should distinguish facility hire, entry pass and programme registration, or the wrong QR code will be presented at the gate.
19. Provide a route for genuine booking disruptions
A sudden storm makes an outdoor court unsafe, or a registered member becomes unexpectedly ill. A fair public service needs a defined exception review, not automatic acceptance of every change of mind as a refundable cancellation.
SportSG’s policies distinguish ordinary confirmed bookings, which are generally subject to no-cancellation conditions, from qualifying unplayable situations such as weather, haze, facility closure or authorised discretionary cases. Members should use official ActiveSG support, identify the booking and provide relevant evidence, without an assurance that all requests are approved.
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
10. Stop automated scripts and multi-account manipulation
A script can attempt thousands of interactions more quickly than a resident using a normal phone, while multiple accounts can distort a fair ballot. Mere technical speed should not decide access to a shared resource.
SportSG uses authentication and fraud controls to discourage bots and multiple accounts. The no-onselling policy also prohibits automated software scripts used for booking. Legitimate users should not be pressured to supply their login to slot-reselling services.
11. State the July 2026 resale and advertising prohibition
A sports booking can be marketed online as ‘court guaranteed, transfer for a fee.’ That is not an ordinary authorised resale of private property; it can deprive another member of a fair public slot.
SportSG prohibits onselling, subletting and assigning ActiveSG bookings. Effective 15 July 2026, advertising a slot or encouraging others to resell it on social platforms is also an infringement. ActiveSG may cancel the slot without refund and suspend the offender, with escalating consequences under its rules. A public guide should discourage buying from an unauthorised seller.
12. Make the hirer’s physical presence part of the booking
A group may ask an eligible friend to book a slot while another group plans to use the court. The name on the booking then no longer identifies the person actually present, weakening the public allocation process.
ActiveSG states the member who booked must be present and participating during the play session, and staff may verify the booking on site. The official guidance warns of cancellation and no refund for non-compliance. That rule should appear on the confirmation, not only in distant legal terms.
13. Show total price, credit use and payment status
A member may have ActiveSG credits and want to use them toward booking. The service should clearly state the eligible amount, any cash balance, expiry conditions and whether the charge successfully settled.
MyActiveSG+ offers ActiveSG credit use for qualifying facility bookings. A successful card or PayNow payment and a confirmed slot are both necessary service records. Any saved payment method belongs to the real account holder, not a broker offering a temporary court.
14. Date credit-expiry information rather than assuming permanence
Some members hold leftover credits from earlier national incentive campaigns and think they remain available forever. A fee summary should rely on the actual account balance and current validity.
SportSG’s 2025 credit-announcement guidance rolled unused ActiveSG credits to 31 December 2026, with subsequent rollover conditions tied to qualifying 2026 transaction activity. A public booking guide should label that timetable and defer to the member’s real account rather than promise every incentive is perpetual.
Even a correctly paid booking may become unusable if the venue closes for maintenance or weather safety. A stale booking can cause a family to travel across the island for no possible game.
MyActiveSG+ publishes booking and cancellation notifications as well as closure information. The service should connect maintenance and operational restrictions to affected users promptly, with a clear route to legitimate replacement or refund where applicable.
16. Communicate by the notification channel that is actually used
A member may be waiting for an SMS confirmation that will not arrive because the platform changed its communication policy. Absence of text does not necessarily mean the booking failed.
Since 31 August 2025, MyActiveSG+ has delivered many non-essential notifications, including facility booking confirmations and unsuccessful ballot results, by email rather than SMS. Winning-ballot and relevant cancellation notifications may still use additional channels. The platform should make the registered email and the in-account booking status easy to find.
17. Give parents authorised control over children’s bookings
A parent may want to reserve a court for a child under fifteen, while another parent is responsible for bringing the group to the venue. The transaction needs a valid linked-child relationship, and only authorised people should control the resulting slot.
MyActiveSG+ child-linking guidance lets parents link children under fifteen and book or ballot on their behalf. It says the parent who made the booking or ballot is responsible for paying and managing it. A child’s credit balance does not become an unrestricted wallet for unrelated accounts.
18. Treat pool and gym passes as different products
A tennis court has a specific date and time allocation; a gym or pool pass grants eligible entry according to pass conditions, not exclusive occupation of the whole facility.
MyActiveSG+ supports gym and swim passes, with QR-code access as newer gantries are rolled out. Certain seniors aged sixty-five and above have free entry arrangements under the specific eligibility rules. A booking system should distinguish facility hire, entry pass and programme registration, or the wrong QR code will be presented at the gate.
19. Provide a route for genuine booking disruptions
A sudden storm makes an outdoor court unsafe, or a registered member becomes unexpectedly ill. A fair public service needs a defined exception review, not automatic acceptance of every change of mind as a refundable cancellation.
SportSG’s policies distinguish ordinary confirmed bookings, which are generally subject to no-cancellation conditions, from qualifying unplayable situations such as weather, haze, facility closure or authorised discretionary cases. Members should use official ActiveSG support, identify the booking and provide relevant evidence, without an assurance that all requests are approved.
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
10. Stop automated scripts and multi-account manipulation
A script can attempt thousands of interactions more quickly than a resident using a normal phone, while multiple accounts can distort a fair ballot. Mere technical speed should not decide access to a shared resource.
SportSG uses authentication and fraud controls to discourage bots and multiple accounts. The no-onselling policy also prohibits automated software scripts used for booking. Legitimate users should not be pressured to supply their login to slot-reselling services.
11. State the July 2026 resale and advertising prohibition
A sports booking can be marketed online as ‘court guaranteed, transfer for a fee.’ That is not an ordinary authorised resale of private property; it can deprive another member of a fair public slot.
SportSG prohibits onselling, subletting and assigning ActiveSG bookings. Effective 15 July 2026, advertising a slot or encouraging others to resell it on social platforms is also an infringement. ActiveSG may cancel the slot without refund and suspend the offender, with escalating consequences under its rules. A public guide should discourage buying from an unauthorised seller.
12. Make the hirer’s physical presence part of the booking
A group may ask an eligible friend to book a slot while another group plans to use the court. The name on the booking then no longer identifies the person actually present, weakening the public allocation process.
ActiveSG states the member who booked must be present and participating during the play session, and staff may verify the booking on site. The official guidance warns of cancellation and no refund for non-compliance. That rule should appear on the confirmation, not only in distant legal terms.
13. Show total price, credit use and payment status
A member may have ActiveSG credits and want to use them toward booking. The service should clearly state the eligible amount, any cash balance, expiry conditions and whether the charge successfully settled.
MyActiveSG+ offers ActiveSG credit use for qualifying facility bookings. A successful card or PayNow payment and a confirmed slot are both necessary service records. Any saved payment method belongs to the real account holder, not a broker offering a temporary court.
14. Date credit-expiry information rather than assuming permanence
Some members hold leftover credits from earlier national incentive campaigns and think they remain available forever. A fee summary should rely on the actual account balance and current validity.
SportSG’s 2025 credit-announcement guidance rolled unused ActiveSG credits to 31 December 2026, with subsequent rollover conditions tied to qualifying 2026 transaction activity. A public booking guide should label that timetable and defer to the member’s real account rather than promise every incentive is perpetual.
Even a correctly paid booking may become unusable if the venue closes for maintenance or weather safety. A stale booking can cause a family to travel across the island for no possible game.
MyActiveSG+ publishes booking and cancellation notifications as well as closure information. The service should connect maintenance and operational restrictions to affected users promptly, with a clear route to legitimate replacement or refund where applicable.
16. Communicate by the notification channel that is actually used
A member may be waiting for an SMS confirmation that will not arrive because the platform changed its communication policy. Absence of text does not necessarily mean the booking failed.
Since 31 August 2025, MyActiveSG+ has delivered many non-essential notifications, including facility booking confirmations and unsuccessful ballot results, by email rather than SMS. Winning-ballot and relevant cancellation notifications may still use additional channels. The platform should make the registered email and the in-account booking status easy to find.
17. Give parents authorised control over children’s bookings
A parent may want to reserve a court for a child under fifteen, while another parent is responsible for bringing the group to the venue. The transaction needs a valid linked-child relationship, and only authorised people should control the resulting slot.
MyActiveSG+ child-linking guidance lets parents link children under fifteen and book or ballot on their behalf. It says the parent who made the booking or ballot is responsible for paying and managing it. A child’s credit balance does not become an unrestricted wallet for unrelated accounts.
18. Treat pool and gym passes as different products
A tennis court has a specific date and time allocation; a gym or pool pass grants eligible entry according to pass conditions, not exclusive occupation of the whole facility.
MyActiveSG+ supports gym and swim passes, with QR-code access as newer gantries are rolled out. Certain seniors aged sixty-five and above have free entry arrangements under the specific eligibility rules. A booking system should distinguish facility hire, entry pass and programme registration, or the wrong QR code will be presented at the gate.
19. Provide a route for genuine booking disruptions
A sudden storm makes an outdoor court unsafe, or a registered member becomes unexpectedly ill. A fair public service needs a defined exception review, not automatic acceptance of every change of mind as a refundable cancellation.
SportSG’s policies distinguish ordinary confirmed bookings, which are generally subject to no-cancellation conditions, from qualifying unplayable situations such as weather, haze, facility closure or authorised discretionary cases. Members should use official ActiveSG support, identify the booking and provide relevant evidence, without an assurance that all requests are approved.
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
9. Do not grant unofficial priority for consecutive ballot losses
A player who has missed five Saturday ballots may reasonably feel frustrated. Giving that person preferential treatment might change fairness for others, but it is not part of the published current rule.
In its 7 July 2026 parliamentary response, MCCY said the ballot does not currently account for prior unsuccessful attempts and there are no present plans to change that. A site should not advertise a loyalty or ‘unlucky loser priority’ feature that has not been implemented.
10. Stop automated scripts and multi-account manipulation
A script can attempt thousands of interactions more quickly than a resident using a normal phone, while multiple accounts can distort a fair ballot. Mere technical speed should not decide access to a shared resource.
SportSG uses authentication and fraud controls to discourage bots and multiple accounts. The no-onselling policy also prohibits automated software scripts used for booking. Legitimate users should not be pressured to supply their login to slot-reselling services.
11. State the July 2026 resale and advertising prohibition
A sports booking can be marketed online as ‘court guaranteed, transfer for a fee.’ That is not an ordinary authorised resale of private property; it can deprive another member of a fair public slot.
SportSG prohibits onselling, subletting and assigning ActiveSG bookings. Effective 15 July 2026, advertising a slot or encouraging others to resell it on social platforms is also an infringement. ActiveSG may cancel the slot without refund and suspend the offender, with escalating consequences under its rules. A public guide should discourage buying from an unauthorised seller.
12. Make the hirer’s physical presence part of the booking
A group may ask an eligible friend to book a slot while another group plans to use the court. The name on the booking then no longer identifies the person actually present, weakening the public allocation process.
ActiveSG states the member who booked must be present and participating during the play session, and staff may verify the booking on site. The official guidance warns of cancellation and no refund for non-compliance. That rule should appear on the confirmation, not only in distant legal terms.
13. Show total price, credit use and payment status
A member may have ActiveSG credits and want to use them toward booking. The service should clearly state the eligible amount, any cash balance, expiry conditions and whether the charge successfully settled.
MyActiveSG+ offers ActiveSG credit use for qualifying facility bookings. A successful card or PayNow payment and a confirmed slot are both necessary service records. Any saved payment method belongs to the real account holder, not a broker offering a temporary court.
14. Date credit-expiry information rather than assuming permanence
Some members hold leftover credits from earlier national incentive campaigns and think they remain available forever. A fee summary should rely on the actual account balance and current validity.
SportSG’s 2025 credit-announcement guidance rolled unused ActiveSG credits to 31 December 2026, with subsequent rollover conditions tied to qualifying 2026 transaction activity. A public booking guide should label that timetable and defer to the member’s real account rather than promise every incentive is perpetual.
Even a correctly paid booking may become unusable if the venue closes for maintenance or weather safety. A stale booking can cause a family to travel across the island for no possible game.
MyActiveSG+ publishes booking and cancellation notifications as well as closure information. The service should connect maintenance and operational restrictions to affected users promptly, with a clear route to legitimate replacement or refund where applicable.
16. Communicate by the notification channel that is actually used
A member may be waiting for an SMS confirmation that will not arrive because the platform changed its communication policy. Absence of text does not necessarily mean the booking failed.
Since 31 August 2025, MyActiveSG+ has delivered many non-essential notifications, including facility booking confirmations and unsuccessful ballot results, by email rather than SMS. Winning-ballot and relevant cancellation notifications may still use additional channels. The platform should make the registered email and the in-account booking status easy to find.
17. Give parents authorised control over children’s bookings
A parent may want to reserve a court for a child under fifteen, while another parent is responsible for bringing the group to the venue. The transaction needs a valid linked-child relationship, and only authorised people should control the resulting slot.
MyActiveSG+ child-linking guidance lets parents link children under fifteen and book or ballot on their behalf. It says the parent who made the booking or ballot is responsible for paying and managing it. A child’s credit balance does not become an unrestricted wallet for unrelated accounts.
18. Treat pool and gym passes as different products
A tennis court has a specific date and time allocation; a gym or pool pass grants eligible entry according to pass conditions, not exclusive occupation of the whole facility.
MyActiveSG+ supports gym and swim passes, with QR-code access as newer gantries are rolled out. Certain seniors aged sixty-five and above have free entry arrangements under the specific eligibility rules. A booking system should distinguish facility hire, entry pass and programme registration, or the wrong QR code will be presented at the gate.
19. Provide a route for genuine booking disruptions
A sudden storm makes an outdoor court unsafe, or a registered member becomes unexpectedly ill. A fair public service needs a defined exception review, not automatic acceptance of every change of mind as a refundable cancellation.
SportSG’s policies distinguish ordinary confirmed bookings, which are generally subject to no-cancellation conditions, from qualifying unplayable situations such as weather, haze, facility closure or authorised discretionary cases. Members should use official ActiveSG support, identify the booking and provide relevant evidence, without an assurance that all requests are approved.
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
9. Do not grant unofficial priority for consecutive ballot losses
A player who has missed five Saturday ballots may reasonably feel frustrated. Giving that person preferential treatment might change fairness for others, but it is not part of the published current rule.
In its 7 July 2026 parliamentary response, MCCY said the ballot does not currently account for prior unsuccessful attempts and there are no present plans to change that. A site should not advertise a loyalty or ‘unlucky loser priority’ feature that has not been implemented.
10. Stop automated scripts and multi-account manipulation
A script can attempt thousands of interactions more quickly than a resident using a normal phone, while multiple accounts can distort a fair ballot. Mere technical speed should not decide access to a shared resource.
SportSG uses authentication and fraud controls to discourage bots and multiple accounts. The no-onselling policy also prohibits automated software scripts used for booking. Legitimate users should not be pressured to supply their login to slot-reselling services.
11. State the July 2026 resale and advertising prohibition
A sports booking can be marketed online as ‘court guaranteed, transfer for a fee.’ That is not an ordinary authorised resale of private property; it can deprive another member of a fair public slot.
SportSG prohibits onselling, subletting and assigning ActiveSG bookings. Effective 15 July 2026, advertising a slot or encouraging others to resell it on social platforms is also an infringement. ActiveSG may cancel the slot without refund and suspend the offender, with escalating consequences under its rules. A public guide should discourage buying from an unauthorised seller.
12. Make the hirer’s physical presence part of the booking
A group may ask an eligible friend to book a slot while another group plans to use the court. The name on the booking then no longer identifies the person actually present, weakening the public allocation process.
ActiveSG states the member who booked must be present and participating during the play session, and staff may verify the booking on site. The official guidance warns of cancellation and no refund for non-compliance. That rule should appear on the confirmation, not only in distant legal terms.
13. Show total price, credit use and payment status
A member may have ActiveSG credits and want to use them toward booking. The service should clearly state the eligible amount, any cash balance, expiry conditions and whether the charge successfully settled.
MyActiveSG+ offers ActiveSG credit use for qualifying facility bookings. A successful card or PayNow payment and a confirmed slot are both necessary service records. Any saved payment method belongs to the real account holder, not a broker offering a temporary court.
14. Date credit-expiry information rather than assuming permanence
Some members hold leftover credits from earlier national incentive campaigns and think they remain available forever. A fee summary should rely on the actual account balance and current validity.
SportSG’s 2025 credit-announcement guidance rolled unused ActiveSG credits to 31 December 2026, with subsequent rollover conditions tied to qualifying 2026 transaction activity. A public booking guide should label that timetable and defer to the member’s real account rather than promise every incentive is perpetual.
Even a correctly paid booking may become unusable if the venue closes for maintenance or weather safety. A stale booking can cause a family to travel across the island for no possible game.
MyActiveSG+ publishes booking and cancellation notifications as well as closure information. The service should connect maintenance and operational restrictions to affected users promptly, with a clear route to legitimate replacement or refund where applicable.
16. Communicate by the notification channel that is actually used
A member may be waiting for an SMS confirmation that will not arrive because the platform changed its communication policy. Absence of text does not necessarily mean the booking failed.
Since 31 August 2025, MyActiveSG+ has delivered many non-essential notifications, including facility booking confirmations and unsuccessful ballot results, by email rather than SMS. Winning-ballot and relevant cancellation notifications may still use additional channels. The platform should make the registered email and the in-account booking status easy to find.
17. Give parents authorised control over children’s bookings
A parent may want to reserve a court for a child under fifteen, while another parent is responsible for bringing the group to the venue. The transaction needs a valid linked-child relationship, and only authorised people should control the resulting slot.
MyActiveSG+ child-linking guidance lets parents link children under fifteen and book or ballot on their behalf. It says the parent who made the booking or ballot is responsible for paying and managing it. A child’s credit balance does not become an unrestricted wallet for unrelated accounts.
18. Treat pool and gym passes as different products
A tennis court has a specific date and time allocation; a gym or pool pass grants eligible entry according to pass conditions, not exclusive occupation of the whole facility.
MyActiveSG+ supports gym and swim passes, with QR-code access as newer gantries are rolled out. Certain seniors aged sixty-five and above have free entry arrangements under the specific eligibility rules. A booking system should distinguish facility hire, entry pass and programme registration, or the wrong QR code will be presented at the gate.
19. Provide a route for genuine booking disruptions
A sudden storm makes an outdoor court unsafe, or a registered member becomes unexpectedly ill. A fair public service needs a defined exception review, not automatic acceptance of every change of mind as a refundable cancellation.
SportSG’s policies distinguish ordinary confirmed bookings, which are generally subject to no-cancellation conditions, from qualifying unplayable situations such as weather, haze, facility closure or authorised discretionary cases. Members should use official ActiveSG support, identify the booking and provide relevant evidence, without an assurance that all requests are approved.
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
8. Release unclaimed peak slots and non-peak slots fairly
When winning ballots are not paid for, empty reservations should not be kept indefinitely. Users without a successful ballot need to know exactly when remaining inventory becomes bookable.
MyActiveSG+ ordinarily releases unassigned peak ballot slots and non-peak slots on D-12 at noon for first-come booking. The official release-timing FAQ specifies the window. The live facility record, rather than a screenshot captured earlier, determines whether a slot remains available.
9. Do not grant unofficial priority for consecutive ballot losses
A player who has missed five Saturday ballots may reasonably feel frustrated. Giving that person preferential treatment might change fairness for others, but it is not part of the published current rule.
In its 7 July 2026 parliamentary response, MCCY said the ballot does not currently account for prior unsuccessful attempts and there are no present plans to change that. A site should not advertise a loyalty or ‘unlucky loser priority’ feature that has not been implemented.
10. Stop automated scripts and multi-account manipulation
A script can attempt thousands of interactions more quickly than a resident using a normal phone, while multiple accounts can distort a fair ballot. Mere technical speed should not decide access to a shared resource.
SportSG uses authentication and fraud controls to discourage bots and multiple accounts. The no-onselling policy also prohibits automated software scripts used for booking. Legitimate users should not be pressured to supply their login to slot-reselling services.
11. State the July 2026 resale and advertising prohibition
A sports booking can be marketed online as ‘court guaranteed, transfer for a fee.’ That is not an ordinary authorised resale of private property; it can deprive another member of a fair public slot.
SportSG prohibits onselling, subletting and assigning ActiveSG bookings. Effective 15 July 2026, advertising a slot or encouraging others to resell it on social platforms is also an infringement. ActiveSG may cancel the slot without refund and suspend the offender, with escalating consequences under its rules. A public guide should discourage buying from an unauthorised seller.
12. Make the hirer’s physical presence part of the booking
A group may ask an eligible friend to book a slot while another group plans to use the court. The name on the booking then no longer identifies the person actually present, weakening the public allocation process.
ActiveSG states the member who booked must be present and participating during the play session, and staff may verify the booking on site. The official guidance warns of cancellation and no refund for non-compliance. That rule should appear on the confirmation, not only in distant legal terms.
13. Show total price, credit use and payment status
A member may have ActiveSG credits and want to use them toward booking. The service should clearly state the eligible amount, any cash balance, expiry conditions and whether the charge successfully settled.
MyActiveSG+ offers ActiveSG credit use for qualifying facility bookings. A successful card or PayNow payment and a confirmed slot are both necessary service records. Any saved payment method belongs to the real account holder, not a broker offering a temporary court.
14. Date credit-expiry information rather than assuming permanence
Some members hold leftover credits from earlier national incentive campaigns and think they remain available forever. A fee summary should rely on the actual account balance and current validity.
SportSG’s 2025 credit-announcement guidance rolled unused ActiveSG credits to 31 December 2026, with subsequent rollover conditions tied to qualifying 2026 transaction activity. A public booking guide should label that timetable and defer to the member’s real account rather than promise every incentive is perpetual.
Even a correctly paid booking may become unusable if the venue closes for maintenance or weather safety. A stale booking can cause a family to travel across the island for no possible game.
MyActiveSG+ publishes booking and cancellation notifications as well as closure information. The service should connect maintenance and operational restrictions to affected users promptly, with a clear route to legitimate replacement or refund where applicable.
16. Communicate by the notification channel that is actually used
A member may be waiting for an SMS confirmation that will not arrive because the platform changed its communication policy. Absence of text does not necessarily mean the booking failed.
Since 31 August 2025, MyActiveSG+ has delivered many non-essential notifications, including facility booking confirmations and unsuccessful ballot results, by email rather than SMS. Winning-ballot and relevant cancellation notifications may still use additional channels. The platform should make the registered email and the in-account booking status easy to find.
17. Give parents authorised control over children’s bookings
A parent may want to reserve a court for a child under fifteen, while another parent is responsible for bringing the group to the venue. The transaction needs a valid linked-child relationship, and only authorised people should control the resulting slot.
MyActiveSG+ child-linking guidance lets parents link children under fifteen and book or ballot on their behalf. It says the parent who made the booking or ballot is responsible for paying and managing it. A child’s credit balance does not become an unrestricted wallet for unrelated accounts.
18. Treat pool and gym passes as different products
A tennis court has a specific date and time allocation; a gym or pool pass grants eligible entry according to pass conditions, not exclusive occupation of the whole facility.
MyActiveSG+ supports gym and swim passes, with QR-code access as newer gantries are rolled out. Certain seniors aged sixty-five and above have free entry arrangements under the specific eligibility rules. A booking system should distinguish facility hire, entry pass and programme registration, or the wrong QR code will be presented at the gate.
19. Provide a route for genuine booking disruptions
A sudden storm makes an outdoor court unsafe, or a registered member becomes unexpectedly ill. A fair public service needs a defined exception review, not automatic acceptance of every change of mind as a refundable cancellation.
SportSG’s policies distinguish ordinary confirmed bookings, which are generally subject to no-cancellation conditions, from qualifying unplayable situations such as weather, haze, facility closure or authorised discretionary cases. Members should use official ActiveSG support, identify the booking and provide relevant evidence, without an assurance that all requests are approved.
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
8. Release unclaimed peak slots and non-peak slots fairly
When winning ballots are not paid for, empty reservations should not be kept indefinitely. Users without a successful ballot need to know exactly when remaining inventory becomes bookable.
MyActiveSG+ ordinarily releases unassigned peak ballot slots and non-peak slots on D-12 at noon for first-come booking. The official release-timing FAQ specifies the window. The live facility record, rather than a screenshot captured earlier, determines whether a slot remains available.
9. Do not grant unofficial priority for consecutive ballot losses
A player who has missed five Saturday ballots may reasonably feel frustrated. Giving that person preferential treatment might change fairness for others, but it is not part of the published current rule.
In its 7 July 2026 parliamentary response, MCCY said the ballot does not currently account for prior unsuccessful attempts and there are no present plans to change that. A site should not advertise a loyalty or ‘unlucky loser priority’ feature that has not been implemented.
10. Stop automated scripts and multi-account manipulation
A script can attempt thousands of interactions more quickly than a resident using a normal phone, while multiple accounts can distort a fair ballot. Mere technical speed should not decide access to a shared resource.
SportSG uses authentication and fraud controls to discourage bots and multiple accounts. The no-onselling policy also prohibits automated software scripts used for booking. Legitimate users should not be pressured to supply their login to slot-reselling services.
11. State the July 2026 resale and advertising prohibition
A sports booking can be marketed online as ‘court guaranteed, transfer for a fee.’ That is not an ordinary authorised resale of private property; it can deprive another member of a fair public slot.
SportSG prohibits onselling, subletting and assigning ActiveSG bookings. Effective 15 July 2026, advertising a slot or encouraging others to resell it on social platforms is also an infringement. ActiveSG may cancel the slot without refund and suspend the offender, with escalating consequences under its rules. A public guide should discourage buying from an unauthorised seller.
12. Make the hirer’s physical presence part of the booking
A group may ask an eligible friend to book a slot while another group plans to use the court. The name on the booking then no longer identifies the person actually present, weakening the public allocation process.
ActiveSG states the member who booked must be present and participating during the play session, and staff may verify the booking on site. The official guidance warns of cancellation and no refund for non-compliance. That rule should appear on the confirmation, not only in distant legal terms.
13. Show total price, credit use and payment status
A member may have ActiveSG credits and want to use them toward booking. The service should clearly state the eligible amount, any cash balance, expiry conditions and whether the charge successfully settled.
MyActiveSG+ offers ActiveSG credit use for qualifying facility bookings. A successful card or PayNow payment and a confirmed slot are both necessary service records. Any saved payment method belongs to the real account holder, not a broker offering a temporary court.
14. Date credit-expiry information rather than assuming permanence
Some members hold leftover credits from earlier national incentive campaigns and think they remain available forever. A fee summary should rely on the actual account balance and current validity.
SportSG’s 2025 credit-announcement guidance rolled unused ActiveSG credits to 31 December 2026, with subsequent rollover conditions tied to qualifying 2026 transaction activity. A public booking guide should label that timetable and defer to the member’s real account rather than promise every incentive is perpetual.
Even a correctly paid booking may become unusable if the venue closes for maintenance or weather safety. A stale booking can cause a family to travel across the island for no possible game.
MyActiveSG+ publishes booking and cancellation notifications as well as closure information. The service should connect maintenance and operational restrictions to affected users promptly, with a clear route to legitimate replacement or refund where applicable.
16. Communicate by the notification channel that is actually used
A member may be waiting for an SMS confirmation that will not arrive because the platform changed its communication policy. Absence of text does not necessarily mean the booking failed.
Since 31 August 2025, MyActiveSG+ has delivered many non-essential notifications, including facility booking confirmations and unsuccessful ballot results, by email rather than SMS. Winning-ballot and relevant cancellation notifications may still use additional channels. The platform should make the registered email and the in-account booking status easy to find.
17. Give parents authorised control over children’s bookings
A parent may want to reserve a court for a child under fifteen, while another parent is responsible for bringing the group to the venue. The transaction needs a valid linked-child relationship, and only authorised people should control the resulting slot.
MyActiveSG+ child-linking guidance lets parents link children under fifteen and book or ballot on their behalf. It says the parent who made the booking or ballot is responsible for paying and managing it. A child’s credit balance does not become an unrestricted wallet for unrelated accounts.
18. Treat pool and gym passes as different products
A tennis court has a specific date and time allocation; a gym or pool pass grants eligible entry according to pass conditions, not exclusive occupation of the whole facility.
MyActiveSG+ supports gym and swim passes, with QR-code access as newer gantries are rolled out. Certain seniors aged sixty-five and above have free entry arrangements under the specific eligibility rules. A booking system should distinguish facility hire, entry pass and programme registration, or the wrong QR code will be presented at the gate.
19. Provide a route for genuine booking disruptions
A sudden storm makes an outdoor court unsafe, or a registered member becomes unexpectedly ill. A fair public service needs a defined exception review, not automatic acceptance of every change of mind as a refundable cancellation.
SportSG’s policies distinguish ordinary confirmed bookings, which are generally subject to no-cancellation conditions, from qualifying unplayable situations such as weather, haze, facility closure or authorised discretionary cases. Members should use official ActiveSG support, identify the booking and provide relevant evidence, without an assurance that all requests are approved.
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
7. Make the ballot outcome and payment deadline explicit
A member may see ‘successful’ on the ballot screen and tell teammates the match is certain. If the member fails to pay by the relevant deadline, the slot can return to the wider public pool.
SportSG’s MyActiveSG+ rollout guidance describes results on D-13 and payment due by 11:59pm that day for winning peak ballots. A Gold Standard interface should show won, payment pending, payment complete and confirmed booking separately, with clear time-specific notices.
8. Release unclaimed peak slots and non-peak slots fairly
When winning ballots are not paid for, empty reservations should not be kept indefinitely. Users without a successful ballot need to know exactly when remaining inventory becomes bookable.
MyActiveSG+ ordinarily releases unassigned peak ballot slots and non-peak slots on D-12 at noon for first-come booking. The official release-timing FAQ specifies the window. The live facility record, rather than a screenshot captured earlier, determines whether a slot remains available.
9. Do not grant unofficial priority for consecutive ballot losses
A player who has missed five Saturday ballots may reasonably feel frustrated. Giving that person preferential treatment might change fairness for others, but it is not part of the published current rule.
In its 7 July 2026 parliamentary response, MCCY said the ballot does not currently account for prior unsuccessful attempts and there are no present plans to change that. A site should not advertise a loyalty or ‘unlucky loser priority’ feature that has not been implemented.
10. Stop automated scripts and multi-account manipulation
A script can attempt thousands of interactions more quickly than a resident using a normal phone, while multiple accounts can distort a fair ballot. Mere technical speed should not decide access to a shared resource.
SportSG uses authentication and fraud controls to discourage bots and multiple accounts. The no-onselling policy also prohibits automated software scripts used for booking. Legitimate users should not be pressured to supply their login to slot-reselling services.
11. State the July 2026 resale and advertising prohibition
A sports booking can be marketed online as ‘court guaranteed, transfer for a fee.’ That is not an ordinary authorised resale of private property; it can deprive another member of a fair public slot.
SportSG prohibits onselling, subletting and assigning ActiveSG bookings. Effective 15 July 2026, advertising a slot or encouraging others to resell it on social platforms is also an infringement. ActiveSG may cancel the slot without refund and suspend the offender, with escalating consequences under its rules. A public guide should discourage buying from an unauthorised seller.
12. Make the hirer’s physical presence part of the booking
A group may ask an eligible friend to book a slot while another group plans to use the court. The name on the booking then no longer identifies the person actually present, weakening the public allocation process.
ActiveSG states the member who booked must be present and participating during the play session, and staff may verify the booking on site. The official guidance warns of cancellation and no refund for non-compliance. That rule should appear on the confirmation, not only in distant legal terms.
13. Show total price, credit use and payment status
A member may have ActiveSG credits and want to use them toward booking. The service should clearly state the eligible amount, any cash balance, expiry conditions and whether the charge successfully settled.
MyActiveSG+ offers ActiveSG credit use for qualifying facility bookings. A successful card or PayNow payment and a confirmed slot are both necessary service records. Any saved payment method belongs to the real account holder, not a broker offering a temporary court.
14. Date credit-expiry information rather than assuming permanence
Some members hold leftover credits from earlier national incentive campaigns and think they remain available forever. A fee summary should rely on the actual account balance and current validity.
SportSG’s 2025 credit-announcement guidance rolled unused ActiveSG credits to 31 December 2026, with subsequent rollover conditions tied to qualifying 2026 transaction activity. A public booking guide should label that timetable and defer to the member’s real account rather than promise every incentive is perpetual.
Even a correctly paid booking may become unusable if the venue closes for maintenance or weather safety. A stale booking can cause a family to travel across the island for no possible game.
MyActiveSG+ publishes booking and cancellation notifications as well as closure information. The service should connect maintenance and operational restrictions to affected users promptly, with a clear route to legitimate replacement or refund where applicable.
16. Communicate by the notification channel that is actually used
A member may be waiting for an SMS confirmation that will not arrive because the platform changed its communication policy. Absence of text does not necessarily mean the booking failed.
Since 31 August 2025, MyActiveSG+ has delivered many non-essential notifications, including facility booking confirmations and unsuccessful ballot results, by email rather than SMS. Winning-ballot and relevant cancellation notifications may still use additional channels. The platform should make the registered email and the in-account booking status easy to find.
17. Give parents authorised control over children’s bookings
A parent may want to reserve a court for a child under fifteen, while another parent is responsible for bringing the group to the venue. The transaction needs a valid linked-child relationship, and only authorised people should control the resulting slot.
MyActiveSG+ child-linking guidance lets parents link children under fifteen and book or ballot on their behalf. It says the parent who made the booking or ballot is responsible for paying and managing it. A child’s credit balance does not become an unrestricted wallet for unrelated accounts.
18. Treat pool and gym passes as different products
A tennis court has a specific date and time allocation; a gym or pool pass grants eligible entry according to pass conditions, not exclusive occupation of the whole facility.
MyActiveSG+ supports gym and swim passes, with QR-code access as newer gantries are rolled out. Certain seniors aged sixty-five and above have free entry arrangements under the specific eligibility rules. A booking system should distinguish facility hire, entry pass and programme registration, or the wrong QR code will be presented at the gate.
19. Provide a route for genuine booking disruptions
A sudden storm makes an outdoor court unsafe, or a registered member becomes unexpectedly ill. A fair public service needs a defined exception review, not automatic acceptance of every change of mind as a refundable cancellation.
SportSG’s policies distinguish ordinary confirmed bookings, which are generally subject to no-cancellation conditions, from qualifying unplayable situations such as weather, haze, facility closure or authorised discretionary cases. Members should use official ActiveSG support, identify the booking and provide relevant evidence, without an assurance that all requests are approved.
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
7. Make the ballot outcome and payment deadline explicit
A member may see ‘successful’ on the ballot screen and tell teammates the match is certain. If the member fails to pay by the relevant deadline, the slot can return to the wider public pool.
SportSG’s MyActiveSG+ rollout guidance describes results on D-13 and payment due by 11:59pm that day for winning peak ballots. A Gold Standard interface should show won, payment pending, payment complete and confirmed booking separately, with clear time-specific notices.
8. Release unclaimed peak slots and non-peak slots fairly
When winning ballots are not paid for, empty reservations should not be kept indefinitely. Users without a successful ballot need to know exactly when remaining inventory becomes bookable.
MyActiveSG+ ordinarily releases unassigned peak ballot slots and non-peak slots on D-12 at noon for first-come booking. The official release-timing FAQ specifies the window. The live facility record, rather than a screenshot captured earlier, determines whether a slot remains available.
9. Do not grant unofficial priority for consecutive ballot losses
A player who has missed five Saturday ballots may reasonably feel frustrated. Giving that person preferential treatment might change fairness for others, but it is not part of the published current rule.
In its 7 July 2026 parliamentary response, MCCY said the ballot does not currently account for prior unsuccessful attempts and there are no present plans to change that. A site should not advertise a loyalty or ‘unlucky loser priority’ feature that has not been implemented.
10. Stop automated scripts and multi-account manipulation
A script can attempt thousands of interactions more quickly than a resident using a normal phone, while multiple accounts can distort a fair ballot. Mere technical speed should not decide access to a shared resource.
SportSG uses authentication and fraud controls to discourage bots and multiple accounts. The no-onselling policy also prohibits automated software scripts used for booking. Legitimate users should not be pressured to supply their login to slot-reselling services.
11. State the July 2026 resale and advertising prohibition
A sports booking can be marketed online as ‘court guaranteed, transfer for a fee.’ That is not an ordinary authorised resale of private property; it can deprive another member of a fair public slot.
SportSG prohibits onselling, subletting and assigning ActiveSG bookings. Effective 15 July 2026, advertising a slot or encouraging others to resell it on social platforms is also an infringement. ActiveSG may cancel the slot without refund and suspend the offender, with escalating consequences under its rules. A public guide should discourage buying from an unauthorised seller.
12. Make the hirer’s physical presence part of the booking
A group may ask an eligible friend to book a slot while another group plans to use the court. The name on the booking then no longer identifies the person actually present, weakening the public allocation process.
ActiveSG states the member who booked must be present and participating during the play session, and staff may verify the booking on site. The official guidance warns of cancellation and no refund for non-compliance. That rule should appear on the confirmation, not only in distant legal terms.
13. Show total price, credit use and payment status
A member may have ActiveSG credits and want to use them toward booking. The service should clearly state the eligible amount, any cash balance, expiry conditions and whether the charge successfully settled.
MyActiveSG+ offers ActiveSG credit use for qualifying facility bookings. A successful card or PayNow payment and a confirmed slot are both necessary service records. Any saved payment method belongs to the real account holder, not a broker offering a temporary court.
14. Date credit-expiry information rather than assuming permanence
Some members hold leftover credits from earlier national incentive campaigns and think they remain available forever. A fee summary should rely on the actual account balance and current validity.
SportSG’s 2025 credit-announcement guidance rolled unused ActiveSG credits to 31 December 2026, with subsequent rollover conditions tied to qualifying 2026 transaction activity. A public booking guide should label that timetable and defer to the member’s real account rather than promise every incentive is perpetual.
Even a correctly paid booking may become unusable if the venue closes for maintenance or weather safety. A stale booking can cause a family to travel across the island for no possible game.
MyActiveSG+ publishes booking and cancellation notifications as well as closure information. The service should connect maintenance and operational restrictions to affected users promptly, with a clear route to legitimate replacement or refund where applicable.
16. Communicate by the notification channel that is actually used
A member may be waiting for an SMS confirmation that will not arrive because the platform changed its communication policy. Absence of text does not necessarily mean the booking failed.
Since 31 August 2025, MyActiveSG+ has delivered many non-essential notifications, including facility booking confirmations and unsuccessful ballot results, by email rather than SMS. Winning-ballot and relevant cancellation notifications may still use additional channels. The platform should make the registered email and the in-account booking status easy to find.
17. Give parents authorised control over children’s bookings
A parent may want to reserve a court for a child under fifteen, while another parent is responsible for bringing the group to the venue. The transaction needs a valid linked-child relationship, and only authorised people should control the resulting slot.
MyActiveSG+ child-linking guidance lets parents link children under fifteen and book or ballot on their behalf. It says the parent who made the booking or ballot is responsible for paying and managing it. A child’s credit balance does not become an unrestricted wallet for unrelated accounts.
18. Treat pool and gym passes as different products
A tennis court has a specific date and time allocation; a gym or pool pass grants eligible entry according to pass conditions, not exclusive occupation of the whole facility.
MyActiveSG+ supports gym and swim passes, with QR-code access as newer gantries are rolled out. Certain seniors aged sixty-five and above have free entry arrangements under the specific eligibility rules. A booking system should distinguish facility hire, entry pass and programme registration, or the wrong QR code will be presented at the gate.
19. Provide a route for genuine booking disruptions
A sudden storm makes an outdoor court unsafe, or a registered member becomes unexpectedly ill. A fair public service needs a defined exception review, not automatic acceptance of every change of mind as a refundable cancellation.
SportSG’s policies distinguish ordinary confirmed bookings, which are generally subject to no-cancellation conditions, from qualifying unplayable situations such as weather, haze, facility closure or authorised discretionary cases. Members should use official ActiveSG support, identify the booking and provide relevant evidence, without an assurance that all requests are approved.
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
Someone working shifts should not need to compete with automated refresh scripts just to enter a ballot. A whole-day submission period improves accessibility and reduces the advantage of fast devices.
The booking guide says peak ballots open 14 days before play at midnight and remain open through 11:59pm the same day. The member enters a valid ballot request, rather than buy the slot on the spot. A submitted ballot is not confirmation of a court.
7. Make the ballot outcome and payment deadline explicit
A member may see ‘successful’ on the ballot screen and tell teammates the match is certain. If the member fails to pay by the relevant deadline, the slot can return to the wider public pool.
SportSG’s MyActiveSG+ rollout guidance describes results on D-13 and payment due by 11:59pm that day for winning peak ballots. A Gold Standard interface should show won, payment pending, payment complete and confirmed booking separately, with clear time-specific notices.
8. Release unclaimed peak slots and non-peak slots fairly
When winning ballots are not paid for, empty reservations should not be kept indefinitely. Users without a successful ballot need to know exactly when remaining inventory becomes bookable.
MyActiveSG+ ordinarily releases unassigned peak ballot slots and non-peak slots on D-12 at noon for first-come booking. The official release-timing FAQ specifies the window. The live facility record, rather than a screenshot captured earlier, determines whether a slot remains available.
9. Do not grant unofficial priority for consecutive ballot losses
A player who has missed five Saturday ballots may reasonably feel frustrated. Giving that person preferential treatment might change fairness for others, but it is not part of the published current rule.
In its 7 July 2026 parliamentary response, MCCY said the ballot does not currently account for prior unsuccessful attempts and there are no present plans to change that. A site should not advertise a loyalty or ‘unlucky loser priority’ feature that has not been implemented.
10. Stop automated scripts and multi-account manipulation
A script can attempt thousands of interactions more quickly than a resident using a normal phone, while multiple accounts can distort a fair ballot. Mere technical speed should not decide access to a shared resource.
SportSG uses authentication and fraud controls to discourage bots and multiple accounts. The no-onselling policy also prohibits automated software scripts used for booking. Legitimate users should not be pressured to supply their login to slot-reselling services.
11. State the July 2026 resale and advertising prohibition
A sports booking can be marketed online as ‘court guaranteed, transfer for a fee.’ That is not an ordinary authorised resale of private property; it can deprive another member of a fair public slot.
SportSG prohibits onselling, subletting and assigning ActiveSG bookings. Effective 15 July 2026, advertising a slot or encouraging others to resell it on social platforms is also an infringement. ActiveSG may cancel the slot without refund and suspend the offender, with escalating consequences under its rules. A public guide should discourage buying from an unauthorised seller.
12. Make the hirer’s physical presence part of the booking
A group may ask an eligible friend to book a slot while another group plans to use the court. The name on the booking then no longer identifies the person actually present, weakening the public allocation process.
ActiveSG states the member who booked must be present and participating during the play session, and staff may verify the booking on site. The official guidance warns of cancellation and no refund for non-compliance. That rule should appear on the confirmation, not only in distant legal terms.
13. Show total price, credit use and payment status
A member may have ActiveSG credits and want to use them toward booking. The service should clearly state the eligible amount, any cash balance, expiry conditions and whether the charge successfully settled.
MyActiveSG+ offers ActiveSG credit use for qualifying facility bookings. A successful card or PayNow payment and a confirmed slot are both necessary service records. Any saved payment method belongs to the real account holder, not a broker offering a temporary court.
14. Date credit-expiry information rather than assuming permanence
Some members hold leftover credits from earlier national incentive campaigns and think they remain available forever. A fee summary should rely on the actual account balance and current validity.
SportSG’s 2025 credit-announcement guidance rolled unused ActiveSG credits to 31 December 2026, with subsequent rollover conditions tied to qualifying 2026 transaction activity. A public booking guide should label that timetable and defer to the member’s real account rather than promise every incentive is perpetual.
Even a correctly paid booking may become unusable if the venue closes for maintenance or weather safety. A stale booking can cause a family to travel across the island for no possible game.
MyActiveSG+ publishes booking and cancellation notifications as well as closure information. The service should connect maintenance and operational restrictions to affected users promptly, with a clear route to legitimate replacement or refund where applicable.
16. Communicate by the notification channel that is actually used
A member may be waiting for an SMS confirmation that will not arrive because the platform changed its communication policy. Absence of text does not necessarily mean the booking failed.
Since 31 August 2025, MyActiveSG+ has delivered many non-essential notifications, including facility booking confirmations and unsuccessful ballot results, by email rather than SMS. Winning-ballot and relevant cancellation notifications may still use additional channels. The platform should make the registered email and the in-account booking status easy to find.
17. Give parents authorised control over children’s bookings
A parent may want to reserve a court for a child under fifteen, while another parent is responsible for bringing the group to the venue. The transaction needs a valid linked-child relationship, and only authorised people should control the resulting slot.
MyActiveSG+ child-linking guidance lets parents link children under fifteen and book or ballot on their behalf. It says the parent who made the booking or ballot is responsible for paying and managing it. A child’s credit balance does not become an unrestricted wallet for unrelated accounts.
18. Treat pool and gym passes as different products
A tennis court has a specific date and time allocation; a gym or pool pass grants eligible entry according to pass conditions, not exclusive occupation of the whole facility.
MyActiveSG+ supports gym and swim passes, with QR-code access as newer gantries are rolled out. Certain seniors aged sixty-five and above have free entry arrangements under the specific eligibility rules. A booking system should distinguish facility hire, entry pass and programme registration, or the wrong QR code will be presented at the gate.
19. Provide a route for genuine booking disruptions
A sudden storm makes an outdoor court unsafe, or a registered member becomes unexpectedly ill. A fair public service needs a defined exception review, not automatic acceptance of every change of mind as a refundable cancellation.
SportSG’s policies distinguish ordinary confirmed bookings, which are generally subject to no-cancellation conditions, from qualifying unplayable situations such as weather, haze, facility closure or authorised discretionary cases. Members should use official ActiveSG support, identify the booking and provide relevant evidence, without an assurance that all requests are approved.
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
Someone working shifts should not need to compete with automated refresh scripts just to enter a ballot. A whole-day submission period improves accessibility and reduces the advantage of fast devices.
The booking guide says peak ballots open 14 days before play at midnight and remain open through 11:59pm the same day. The member enters a valid ballot request, rather than buy the slot on the spot. A submitted ballot is not confirmation of a court.
7. Make the ballot outcome and payment deadline explicit
A member may see ‘successful’ on the ballot screen and tell teammates the match is certain. If the member fails to pay by the relevant deadline, the slot can return to the wider public pool.
SportSG’s MyActiveSG+ rollout guidance describes results on D-13 and payment due by 11:59pm that day for winning peak ballots. A Gold Standard interface should show won, payment pending, payment complete and confirmed booking separately, with clear time-specific notices.
8. Release unclaimed peak slots and non-peak slots fairly
When winning ballots are not paid for, empty reservations should not be kept indefinitely. Users without a successful ballot need to know exactly when remaining inventory becomes bookable.
MyActiveSG+ ordinarily releases unassigned peak ballot slots and non-peak slots on D-12 at noon for first-come booking. The official release-timing FAQ specifies the window. The live facility record, rather than a screenshot captured earlier, determines whether a slot remains available.
9. Do not grant unofficial priority for consecutive ballot losses
A player who has missed five Saturday ballots may reasonably feel frustrated. Giving that person preferential treatment might change fairness for others, but it is not part of the published current rule.
In its 7 July 2026 parliamentary response, MCCY said the ballot does not currently account for prior unsuccessful attempts and there are no present plans to change that. A site should not advertise a loyalty or ‘unlucky loser priority’ feature that has not been implemented.
10. Stop automated scripts and multi-account manipulation
A script can attempt thousands of interactions more quickly than a resident using a normal phone, while multiple accounts can distort a fair ballot. Mere technical speed should not decide access to a shared resource.
SportSG uses authentication and fraud controls to discourage bots and multiple accounts. The no-onselling policy also prohibits automated software scripts used for booking. Legitimate users should not be pressured to supply their login to slot-reselling services.
11. State the July 2026 resale and advertising prohibition
A sports booking can be marketed online as ‘court guaranteed, transfer for a fee.’ That is not an ordinary authorised resale of private property; it can deprive another member of a fair public slot.
SportSG prohibits onselling, subletting and assigning ActiveSG bookings. Effective 15 July 2026, advertising a slot or encouraging others to resell it on social platforms is also an infringement. ActiveSG may cancel the slot without refund and suspend the offender, with escalating consequences under its rules. A public guide should discourage buying from an unauthorised seller.
12. Make the hirer’s physical presence part of the booking
A group may ask an eligible friend to book a slot while another group plans to use the court. The name on the booking then no longer identifies the person actually present, weakening the public allocation process.
ActiveSG states the member who booked must be present and participating during the play session, and staff may verify the booking on site. The official guidance warns of cancellation and no refund for non-compliance. That rule should appear on the confirmation, not only in distant legal terms.
13. Show total price, credit use and payment status
A member may have ActiveSG credits and want to use them toward booking. The service should clearly state the eligible amount, any cash balance, expiry conditions and whether the charge successfully settled.
MyActiveSG+ offers ActiveSG credit use for qualifying facility bookings. A successful card or PayNow payment and a confirmed slot are both necessary service records. Any saved payment method belongs to the real account holder, not a broker offering a temporary court.
14. Date credit-expiry information rather than assuming permanence
Some members hold leftover credits from earlier national incentive campaigns and think they remain available forever. A fee summary should rely on the actual account balance and current validity.
SportSG’s 2025 credit-announcement guidance rolled unused ActiveSG credits to 31 December 2026, with subsequent rollover conditions tied to qualifying 2026 transaction activity. A public booking guide should label that timetable and defer to the member’s real account rather than promise every incentive is perpetual.
Even a correctly paid booking may become unusable if the venue closes for maintenance or weather safety. A stale booking can cause a family to travel across the island for no possible game.
MyActiveSG+ publishes booking and cancellation notifications as well as closure information. The service should connect maintenance and operational restrictions to affected users promptly, with a clear route to legitimate replacement or refund where applicable.
16. Communicate by the notification channel that is actually used
A member may be waiting for an SMS confirmation that will not arrive because the platform changed its communication policy. Absence of text does not necessarily mean the booking failed.
Since 31 August 2025, MyActiveSG+ has delivered many non-essential notifications, including facility booking confirmations and unsuccessful ballot results, by email rather than SMS. Winning-ballot and relevant cancellation notifications may still use additional channels. The platform should make the registered email and the in-account booking status easy to find.
17. Give parents authorised control over children’s bookings
A parent may want to reserve a court for a child under fifteen, while another parent is responsible for bringing the group to the venue. The transaction needs a valid linked-child relationship, and only authorised people should control the resulting slot.
MyActiveSG+ child-linking guidance lets parents link children under fifteen and book or ballot on their behalf. It says the parent who made the booking or ballot is responsible for paying and managing it. A child’s credit balance does not become an unrestricted wallet for unrelated accounts.
18. Treat pool and gym passes as different products
A tennis court has a specific date and time allocation; a gym or pool pass grants eligible entry according to pass conditions, not exclusive occupation of the whole facility.
MyActiveSG+ supports gym and swim passes, with QR-code access as newer gantries are rolled out. Certain seniors aged sixty-five and above have free entry arrangements under the specific eligibility rules. A booking system should distinguish facility hire, entry pass and programme registration, or the wrong QR code will be presented at the gate.
19. Provide a route for genuine booking disruptions
A sudden storm makes an outdoor court unsafe, or a registered member becomes unexpectedly ill. A fair public service needs a defined exception review, not automatic acceptance of every change of mind as a refundable cancellation.
SportSG’s policies distinguish ordinary confirmed bookings, which are generally subject to no-cancellation conditions, from qualifying unplayable situations such as weather, haze, facility closure or authorised discretionary cases. Members should use official ActiveSG support, identify the booking and provide relevant evidence, without an assurance that all requests are approved.
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
Players may assume ‘peak’ means only weekend evenings. The published schedule includes long daytime periods on weekends and public holidays, materially affecting which method they must use.
MyActiveSG+ treats Monday–Friday 6pm to 10pm, and Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays 7am to 10pm, as peak hours. Weekday non-peak periods are generally 7am–6pm. The system should determine classification using the actual Singapore calendar, not the user’s device time zone.
Someone working shifts should not need to compete with automated refresh scripts just to enter a ballot. A whole-day submission period improves accessibility and reduces the advantage of fast devices.
The booking guide says peak ballots open 14 days before play at midnight and remain open through 11:59pm the same day. The member enters a valid ballot request, rather than buy the slot on the spot. A submitted ballot is not confirmation of a court.
7. Make the ballot outcome and payment deadline explicit
A member may see ‘successful’ on the ballot screen and tell teammates the match is certain. If the member fails to pay by the relevant deadline, the slot can return to the wider public pool.
SportSG’s MyActiveSG+ rollout guidance describes results on D-13 and payment due by 11:59pm that day for winning peak ballots. A Gold Standard interface should show won, payment pending, payment complete and confirmed booking separately, with clear time-specific notices.
8. Release unclaimed peak slots and non-peak slots fairly
When winning ballots are not paid for, empty reservations should not be kept indefinitely. Users without a successful ballot need to know exactly when remaining inventory becomes bookable.
MyActiveSG+ ordinarily releases unassigned peak ballot slots and non-peak slots on D-12 at noon for first-come booking. The official release-timing FAQ specifies the window. The live facility record, rather than a screenshot captured earlier, determines whether a slot remains available.
9. Do not grant unofficial priority for consecutive ballot losses
A player who has missed five Saturday ballots may reasonably feel frustrated. Giving that person preferential treatment might change fairness for others, but it is not part of the published current rule.
In its 7 July 2026 parliamentary response, MCCY said the ballot does not currently account for prior unsuccessful attempts and there are no present plans to change that. A site should not advertise a loyalty or ‘unlucky loser priority’ feature that has not been implemented.
10. Stop automated scripts and multi-account manipulation
A script can attempt thousands of interactions more quickly than a resident using a normal phone, while multiple accounts can distort a fair ballot. Mere technical speed should not decide access to a shared resource.
SportSG uses authentication and fraud controls to discourage bots and multiple accounts. The no-onselling policy also prohibits automated software scripts used for booking. Legitimate users should not be pressured to supply their login to slot-reselling services.
11. State the July 2026 resale and advertising prohibition
A sports booking can be marketed online as ‘court guaranteed, transfer for a fee.’ That is not an ordinary authorised resale of private property; it can deprive another member of a fair public slot.
SportSG prohibits onselling, subletting and assigning ActiveSG bookings. Effective 15 July 2026, advertising a slot or encouraging others to resell it on social platforms is also an infringement. ActiveSG may cancel the slot without refund and suspend the offender, with escalating consequences under its rules. A public guide should discourage buying from an unauthorised seller.
12. Make the hirer’s physical presence part of the booking
A group may ask an eligible friend to book a slot while another group plans to use the court. The name on the booking then no longer identifies the person actually present, weakening the public allocation process.
ActiveSG states the member who booked must be present and participating during the play session, and staff may verify the booking on site. The official guidance warns of cancellation and no refund for non-compliance. That rule should appear on the confirmation, not only in distant legal terms.
13. Show total price, credit use and payment status
A member may have ActiveSG credits and want to use them toward booking. The service should clearly state the eligible amount, any cash balance, expiry conditions and whether the charge successfully settled.
MyActiveSG+ offers ActiveSG credit use for qualifying facility bookings. A successful card or PayNow payment and a confirmed slot are both necessary service records. Any saved payment method belongs to the real account holder, not a broker offering a temporary court.
14. Date credit-expiry information rather than assuming permanence
Some members hold leftover credits from earlier national incentive campaigns and think they remain available forever. A fee summary should rely on the actual account balance and current validity.
SportSG’s 2025 credit-announcement guidance rolled unused ActiveSG credits to 31 December 2026, with subsequent rollover conditions tied to qualifying 2026 transaction activity. A public booking guide should label that timetable and defer to the member’s real account rather than promise every incentive is perpetual.
Even a correctly paid booking may become unusable if the venue closes for maintenance or weather safety. A stale booking can cause a family to travel across the island for no possible game.
MyActiveSG+ publishes booking and cancellation notifications as well as closure information. The service should connect maintenance and operational restrictions to affected users promptly, with a clear route to legitimate replacement or refund where applicable.
16. Communicate by the notification channel that is actually used
A member may be waiting for an SMS confirmation that will not arrive because the platform changed its communication policy. Absence of text does not necessarily mean the booking failed.
Since 31 August 2025, MyActiveSG+ has delivered many non-essential notifications, including facility booking confirmations and unsuccessful ballot results, by email rather than SMS. Winning-ballot and relevant cancellation notifications may still use additional channels. The platform should make the registered email and the in-account booking status easy to find.
17. Give parents authorised control over children’s bookings
A parent may want to reserve a court for a child under fifteen, while another parent is responsible for bringing the group to the venue. The transaction needs a valid linked-child relationship, and only authorised people should control the resulting slot.
MyActiveSG+ child-linking guidance lets parents link children under fifteen and book or ballot on their behalf. It says the parent who made the booking or ballot is responsible for paying and managing it. A child’s credit balance does not become an unrestricted wallet for unrelated accounts.
18. Treat pool and gym passes as different products
A tennis court has a specific date and time allocation; a gym or pool pass grants eligible entry according to pass conditions, not exclusive occupation of the whole facility.
MyActiveSG+ supports gym and swim passes, with QR-code access as newer gantries are rolled out. Certain seniors aged sixty-five and above have free entry arrangements under the specific eligibility rules. A booking system should distinguish facility hire, entry pass and programme registration, or the wrong QR code will be presented at the gate.
19. Provide a route for genuine booking disruptions
A sudden storm makes an outdoor court unsafe, or a registered member becomes unexpectedly ill. A fair public service needs a defined exception review, not automatic acceptance of every change of mind as a refundable cancellation.
SportSG’s policies distinguish ordinary confirmed bookings, which are generally subject to no-cancellation conditions, from qualifying unplayable situations such as weather, haze, facility closure or authorised discretionary cases. Members should use official ActiveSG support, identify the booking and provide relevant evidence, without an assurance that all requests are approved.
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
Players may assume ‘peak’ means only weekend evenings. The published schedule includes long daytime periods on weekends and public holidays, materially affecting which method they must use.
MyActiveSG+ treats Monday–Friday 6pm to 10pm, and Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays 7am to 10pm, as peak hours. Weekday non-peak periods are generally 7am–6pm. The system should determine classification using the actual Singapore calendar, not the user’s device time zone.
Someone working shifts should not need to compete with automated refresh scripts just to enter a ballot. A whole-day submission period improves accessibility and reduces the advantage of fast devices.
The booking guide says peak ballots open 14 days before play at midnight and remain open through 11:59pm the same day. The member enters a valid ballot request, rather than buy the slot on the spot. A submitted ballot is not confirmation of a court.
7. Make the ballot outcome and payment deadline explicit
A member may see ‘successful’ on the ballot screen and tell teammates the match is certain. If the member fails to pay by the relevant deadline, the slot can return to the wider public pool.
SportSG’s MyActiveSG+ rollout guidance describes results on D-13 and payment due by 11:59pm that day for winning peak ballots. A Gold Standard interface should show won, payment pending, payment complete and confirmed booking separately, with clear time-specific notices.
8. Release unclaimed peak slots and non-peak slots fairly
When winning ballots are not paid for, empty reservations should not be kept indefinitely. Users without a successful ballot need to know exactly when remaining inventory becomes bookable.
MyActiveSG+ ordinarily releases unassigned peak ballot slots and non-peak slots on D-12 at noon for first-come booking. The official release-timing FAQ specifies the window. The live facility record, rather than a screenshot captured earlier, determines whether a slot remains available.
9. Do not grant unofficial priority for consecutive ballot losses
A player who has missed five Saturday ballots may reasonably feel frustrated. Giving that person preferential treatment might change fairness for others, but it is not part of the published current rule.
In its 7 July 2026 parliamentary response, MCCY said the ballot does not currently account for prior unsuccessful attempts and there are no present plans to change that. A site should not advertise a loyalty or ‘unlucky loser priority’ feature that has not been implemented.
10. Stop automated scripts and multi-account manipulation
A script can attempt thousands of interactions more quickly than a resident using a normal phone, while multiple accounts can distort a fair ballot. Mere technical speed should not decide access to a shared resource.
SportSG uses authentication and fraud controls to discourage bots and multiple accounts. The no-onselling policy also prohibits automated software scripts used for booking. Legitimate users should not be pressured to supply their login to slot-reselling services.
11. State the July 2026 resale and advertising prohibition
A sports booking can be marketed online as ‘court guaranteed, transfer for a fee.’ That is not an ordinary authorised resale of private property; it can deprive another member of a fair public slot.
SportSG prohibits onselling, subletting and assigning ActiveSG bookings. Effective 15 July 2026, advertising a slot or encouraging others to resell it on social platforms is also an infringement. ActiveSG may cancel the slot without refund and suspend the offender, with escalating consequences under its rules. A public guide should discourage buying from an unauthorised seller.
12. Make the hirer’s physical presence part of the booking
A group may ask an eligible friend to book a slot while another group plans to use the court. The name on the booking then no longer identifies the person actually present, weakening the public allocation process.
ActiveSG states the member who booked must be present and participating during the play session, and staff may verify the booking on site. The official guidance warns of cancellation and no refund for non-compliance. That rule should appear on the confirmation, not only in distant legal terms.
13. Show total price, credit use and payment status
A member may have ActiveSG credits and want to use them toward booking. The service should clearly state the eligible amount, any cash balance, expiry conditions and whether the charge successfully settled.
MyActiveSG+ offers ActiveSG credit use for qualifying facility bookings. A successful card or PayNow payment and a confirmed slot are both necessary service records. Any saved payment method belongs to the real account holder, not a broker offering a temporary court.
14. Date credit-expiry information rather than assuming permanence
Some members hold leftover credits from earlier national incentive campaigns and think they remain available forever. A fee summary should rely on the actual account balance and current validity.
SportSG’s 2025 credit-announcement guidance rolled unused ActiveSG credits to 31 December 2026, with subsequent rollover conditions tied to qualifying 2026 transaction activity. A public booking guide should label that timetable and defer to the member’s real account rather than promise every incentive is perpetual.
Even a correctly paid booking may become unusable if the venue closes for maintenance or weather safety. A stale booking can cause a family to travel across the island for no possible game.
MyActiveSG+ publishes booking and cancellation notifications as well as closure information. The service should connect maintenance and operational restrictions to affected users promptly, with a clear route to legitimate replacement or refund where applicable.
16. Communicate by the notification channel that is actually used
A member may be waiting for an SMS confirmation that will not arrive because the platform changed its communication policy. Absence of text does not necessarily mean the booking failed.
Since 31 August 2025, MyActiveSG+ has delivered many non-essential notifications, including facility booking confirmations and unsuccessful ballot results, by email rather than SMS. Winning-ballot and relevant cancellation notifications may still use additional channels. The platform should make the registered email and the in-account booking status easy to find.
17. Give parents authorised control over children’s bookings
A parent may want to reserve a court for a child under fifteen, while another parent is responsible for bringing the group to the venue. The transaction needs a valid linked-child relationship, and only authorised people should control the resulting slot.
MyActiveSG+ child-linking guidance lets parents link children under fifteen and book or ballot on their behalf. It says the parent who made the booking or ballot is responsible for paying and managing it. A child’s credit balance does not become an unrestricted wallet for unrelated accounts.
18. Treat pool and gym passes as different products
A tennis court has a specific date and time allocation; a gym or pool pass grants eligible entry according to pass conditions, not exclusive occupation of the whole facility.
MyActiveSG+ supports gym and swim passes, with QR-code access as newer gantries are rolled out. Certain seniors aged sixty-five and above have free entry arrangements under the specific eligibility rules. A booking system should distinguish facility hire, entry pass and programme registration, or the wrong QR code will be presented at the gate.
19. Provide a route for genuine booking disruptions
A sudden storm makes an outdoor court unsafe, or a registered member becomes unexpectedly ill. A fair public service needs a defined exception review, not automatic acceptance of every change of mind as a refundable cancellation.
SportSG’s policies distinguish ordinary confirmed bookings, which are generally subject to no-cancellation conditions, from qualifying unplayable situations such as weather, haze, facility closure or authorised discretionary cases. Members should use official ActiveSG support, identify the booking and provide relevant evidence, without an assurance that all requests are approved.
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
4. Treat balloting and first-come booking as different paths
The method depends on whether the intended slot falls within peak demand hours. An applicant can have a fair chance in a ballot without needing to refresh a website every minute, but a later general booking window uses different allocation.
The official ActiveSG FAQ says peak-hour slots use a D-14 ballot, while non-peak and unassigned ballot slots enter a first-come booking window on D-12. This is an operational fairness distinction, not a higher fee paid to win a ballot.
Players may assume ‘peak’ means only weekend evenings. The published schedule includes long daytime periods on weekends and public holidays, materially affecting which method they must use.
MyActiveSG+ treats Monday–Friday 6pm to 10pm, and Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays 7am to 10pm, as peak hours. Weekday non-peak periods are generally 7am–6pm. The system should determine classification using the actual Singapore calendar, not the user’s device time zone.
Someone working shifts should not need to compete with automated refresh scripts just to enter a ballot. A whole-day submission period improves accessibility and reduces the advantage of fast devices.
The booking guide says peak ballots open 14 days before play at midnight and remain open through 11:59pm the same day. The member enters a valid ballot request, rather than buy the slot on the spot. A submitted ballot is not confirmation of a court.
7. Make the ballot outcome and payment deadline explicit
A member may see ‘successful’ on the ballot screen and tell teammates the match is certain. If the member fails to pay by the relevant deadline, the slot can return to the wider public pool.
SportSG’s MyActiveSG+ rollout guidance describes results on D-13 and payment due by 11:59pm that day for winning peak ballots. A Gold Standard interface should show won, payment pending, payment complete and confirmed booking separately, with clear time-specific notices.
8. Release unclaimed peak slots and non-peak slots fairly
When winning ballots are not paid for, empty reservations should not be kept indefinitely. Users without a successful ballot need to know exactly when remaining inventory becomes bookable.
MyActiveSG+ ordinarily releases unassigned peak ballot slots and non-peak slots on D-12 at noon for first-come booking. The official release-timing FAQ specifies the window. The live facility record, rather than a screenshot captured earlier, determines whether a slot remains available.
9. Do not grant unofficial priority for consecutive ballot losses
A player who has missed five Saturday ballots may reasonably feel frustrated. Giving that person preferential treatment might change fairness for others, but it is not part of the published current rule.
In its 7 July 2026 parliamentary response, MCCY said the ballot does not currently account for prior unsuccessful attempts and there are no present plans to change that. A site should not advertise a loyalty or ‘unlucky loser priority’ feature that has not been implemented.
10. Stop automated scripts and multi-account manipulation
A script can attempt thousands of interactions more quickly than a resident using a normal phone, while multiple accounts can distort a fair ballot. Mere technical speed should not decide access to a shared resource.
SportSG uses authentication and fraud controls to discourage bots and multiple accounts. The no-onselling policy also prohibits automated software scripts used for booking. Legitimate users should not be pressured to supply their login to slot-reselling services.
11. State the July 2026 resale and advertising prohibition
A sports booking can be marketed online as ‘court guaranteed, transfer for a fee.’ That is not an ordinary authorised resale of private property; it can deprive another member of a fair public slot.
SportSG prohibits onselling, subletting and assigning ActiveSG bookings. Effective 15 July 2026, advertising a slot or encouraging others to resell it on social platforms is also an infringement. ActiveSG may cancel the slot without refund and suspend the offender, with escalating consequences under its rules. A public guide should discourage buying from an unauthorised seller.
12. Make the hirer’s physical presence part of the booking
A group may ask an eligible friend to book a slot while another group plans to use the court. The name on the booking then no longer identifies the person actually present, weakening the public allocation process.
ActiveSG states the member who booked must be present and participating during the play session, and staff may verify the booking on site. The official guidance warns of cancellation and no refund for non-compliance. That rule should appear on the confirmation, not only in distant legal terms.
13. Show total price, credit use and payment status
A member may have ActiveSG credits and want to use them toward booking. The service should clearly state the eligible amount, any cash balance, expiry conditions and whether the charge successfully settled.
MyActiveSG+ offers ActiveSG credit use for qualifying facility bookings. A successful card or PayNow payment and a confirmed slot are both necessary service records. Any saved payment method belongs to the real account holder, not a broker offering a temporary court.
14. Date credit-expiry information rather than assuming permanence
Some members hold leftover credits from earlier national incentive campaigns and think they remain available forever. A fee summary should rely on the actual account balance and current validity.
SportSG’s 2025 credit-announcement guidance rolled unused ActiveSG credits to 31 December 2026, with subsequent rollover conditions tied to qualifying 2026 transaction activity. A public booking guide should label that timetable and defer to the member’s real account rather than promise every incentive is perpetual.
Even a correctly paid booking may become unusable if the venue closes for maintenance or weather safety. A stale booking can cause a family to travel across the island for no possible game.
MyActiveSG+ publishes booking and cancellation notifications as well as closure information. The service should connect maintenance and operational restrictions to affected users promptly, with a clear route to legitimate replacement or refund where applicable.
16. Communicate by the notification channel that is actually used
A member may be waiting for an SMS confirmation that will not arrive because the platform changed its communication policy. Absence of text does not necessarily mean the booking failed.
Since 31 August 2025, MyActiveSG+ has delivered many non-essential notifications, including facility booking confirmations and unsuccessful ballot results, by email rather than SMS. Winning-ballot and relevant cancellation notifications may still use additional channels. The platform should make the registered email and the in-account booking status easy to find.
17. Give parents authorised control over children’s bookings
A parent may want to reserve a court for a child under fifteen, while another parent is responsible for bringing the group to the venue. The transaction needs a valid linked-child relationship, and only authorised people should control the resulting slot.
MyActiveSG+ child-linking guidance lets parents link children under fifteen and book or ballot on their behalf. It says the parent who made the booking or ballot is responsible for paying and managing it. A child’s credit balance does not become an unrestricted wallet for unrelated accounts.
18. Treat pool and gym passes as different products
A tennis court has a specific date and time allocation; a gym or pool pass grants eligible entry according to pass conditions, not exclusive occupation of the whole facility.
MyActiveSG+ supports gym and swim passes, with QR-code access as newer gantries are rolled out. Certain seniors aged sixty-five and above have free entry arrangements under the specific eligibility rules. A booking system should distinguish facility hire, entry pass and programme registration, or the wrong QR code will be presented at the gate.
19. Provide a route for genuine booking disruptions
A sudden storm makes an outdoor court unsafe, or a registered member becomes unexpectedly ill. A fair public service needs a defined exception review, not automatic acceptance of every change of mind as a refundable cancellation.
SportSG’s policies distinguish ordinary confirmed bookings, which are generally subject to no-cancellation conditions, from qualifying unplayable situations such as weather, haze, facility closure or authorised discretionary cases. Members should use official ActiveSG support, identify the booking and provide relevant evidence, without an assurance that all requests are approved.
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
4. Treat balloting and first-come booking as different paths
The method depends on whether the intended slot falls within peak demand hours. An applicant can have a fair chance in a ballot without needing to refresh a website every minute, but a later general booking window uses different allocation.
The official ActiveSG FAQ says peak-hour slots use a D-14 ballot, while non-peak and unassigned ballot slots enter a first-come booking window on D-12. This is an operational fairness distinction, not a higher fee paid to win a ballot.
Players may assume ‘peak’ means only weekend evenings. The published schedule includes long daytime periods on weekends and public holidays, materially affecting which method they must use.
MyActiveSG+ treats Monday–Friday 6pm to 10pm, and Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays 7am to 10pm, as peak hours. Weekday non-peak periods are generally 7am–6pm. The system should determine classification using the actual Singapore calendar, not the user’s device time zone.
Someone working shifts should not need to compete with automated refresh scripts just to enter a ballot. A whole-day submission period improves accessibility and reduces the advantage of fast devices.
The booking guide says peak ballots open 14 days before play at midnight and remain open through 11:59pm the same day. The member enters a valid ballot request, rather than buy the slot on the spot. A submitted ballot is not confirmation of a court.
7. Make the ballot outcome and payment deadline explicit
A member may see ‘successful’ on the ballot screen and tell teammates the match is certain. If the member fails to pay by the relevant deadline, the slot can return to the wider public pool.
SportSG’s MyActiveSG+ rollout guidance describes results on D-13 and payment due by 11:59pm that day for winning peak ballots. A Gold Standard interface should show won, payment pending, payment complete and confirmed booking separately, with clear time-specific notices.
8. Release unclaimed peak slots and non-peak slots fairly
When winning ballots are not paid for, empty reservations should not be kept indefinitely. Users without a successful ballot need to know exactly when remaining inventory becomes bookable.
MyActiveSG+ ordinarily releases unassigned peak ballot slots and non-peak slots on D-12 at noon for first-come booking. The official release-timing FAQ specifies the window. The live facility record, rather than a screenshot captured earlier, determines whether a slot remains available.
9. Do not grant unofficial priority for consecutive ballot losses
A player who has missed five Saturday ballots may reasonably feel frustrated. Giving that person preferential treatment might change fairness for others, but it is not part of the published current rule.
In its 7 July 2026 parliamentary response, MCCY said the ballot does not currently account for prior unsuccessful attempts and there are no present plans to change that. A site should not advertise a loyalty or ‘unlucky loser priority’ feature that has not been implemented.
10. Stop automated scripts and multi-account manipulation
A script can attempt thousands of interactions more quickly than a resident using a normal phone, while multiple accounts can distort a fair ballot. Mere technical speed should not decide access to a shared resource.
SportSG uses authentication and fraud controls to discourage bots and multiple accounts. The no-onselling policy also prohibits automated software scripts used for booking. Legitimate users should not be pressured to supply their login to slot-reselling services.
11. State the July 2026 resale and advertising prohibition
A sports booking can be marketed online as ‘court guaranteed, transfer for a fee.’ That is not an ordinary authorised resale of private property; it can deprive another member of a fair public slot.
SportSG prohibits onselling, subletting and assigning ActiveSG bookings. Effective 15 July 2026, advertising a slot or encouraging others to resell it on social platforms is also an infringement. ActiveSG may cancel the slot without refund and suspend the offender, with escalating consequences under its rules. A public guide should discourage buying from an unauthorised seller.
12. Make the hirer’s physical presence part of the booking
A group may ask an eligible friend to book a slot while another group plans to use the court. The name on the booking then no longer identifies the person actually present, weakening the public allocation process.
ActiveSG states the member who booked must be present and participating during the play session, and staff may verify the booking on site. The official guidance warns of cancellation and no refund for non-compliance. That rule should appear on the confirmation, not only in distant legal terms.
13. Show total price, credit use and payment status
A member may have ActiveSG credits and want to use them toward booking. The service should clearly state the eligible amount, any cash balance, expiry conditions and whether the charge successfully settled.
MyActiveSG+ offers ActiveSG credit use for qualifying facility bookings. A successful card or PayNow payment and a confirmed slot are both necessary service records. Any saved payment method belongs to the real account holder, not a broker offering a temporary court.
14. Date credit-expiry information rather than assuming permanence
Some members hold leftover credits from earlier national incentive campaigns and think they remain available forever. A fee summary should rely on the actual account balance and current validity.
SportSG’s 2025 credit-announcement guidance rolled unused ActiveSG credits to 31 December 2026, with subsequent rollover conditions tied to qualifying 2026 transaction activity. A public booking guide should label that timetable and defer to the member’s real account rather than promise every incentive is perpetual.
Even a correctly paid booking may become unusable if the venue closes for maintenance or weather safety. A stale booking can cause a family to travel across the island for no possible game.
MyActiveSG+ publishes booking and cancellation notifications as well as closure information. The service should connect maintenance and operational restrictions to affected users promptly, with a clear route to legitimate replacement or refund where applicable.
16. Communicate by the notification channel that is actually used
A member may be waiting for an SMS confirmation that will not arrive because the platform changed its communication policy. Absence of text does not necessarily mean the booking failed.
Since 31 August 2025, MyActiveSG+ has delivered many non-essential notifications, including facility booking confirmations and unsuccessful ballot results, by email rather than SMS. Winning-ballot and relevant cancellation notifications may still use additional channels. The platform should make the registered email and the in-account booking status easy to find.
17. Give parents authorised control over children’s bookings
A parent may want to reserve a court for a child under fifteen, while another parent is responsible for bringing the group to the venue. The transaction needs a valid linked-child relationship, and only authorised people should control the resulting slot.
MyActiveSG+ child-linking guidance lets parents link children under fifteen and book or ballot on their behalf. It says the parent who made the booking or ballot is responsible for paying and managing it. A child’s credit balance does not become an unrestricted wallet for unrelated accounts.
18. Treat pool and gym passes as different products
A tennis court has a specific date and time allocation; a gym or pool pass grants eligible entry according to pass conditions, not exclusive occupation of the whole facility.
MyActiveSG+ supports gym and swim passes, with QR-code access as newer gantries are rolled out. Certain seniors aged sixty-five and above have free entry arrangements under the specific eligibility rules. A booking system should distinguish facility hire, entry pass and programme registration, or the wrong QR code will be presented at the gate.
19. Provide a route for genuine booking disruptions
A sudden storm makes an outdoor court unsafe, or a registered member becomes unexpectedly ill. A fair public service needs a defined exception review, not automatic acceptance of every change of mind as a refundable cancellation.
SportSG’s policies distinguish ordinary confirmed bookings, which are generally subject to no-cancellation conditions, from qualifying unplayable situations such as weather, haze, facility closure or authorised discretionary cases. Members should use official ActiveSG support, identify the booking and provide relevant evidence, without an assurance that all requests are approved.
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
Some buyers of sporting slots may be tempted to let a stranger use their account to improve ballot odds. Doing so can expose personal information and undermine the very fairness rules that make subsidised access worthwhile.
MyActiveSG+ uses authenticated membership access and supports Singpass verification, including ID and password login with additional identity verification for eligible users. Never submit government credentials to a private slot broker or software bot.
4. Treat balloting and first-come booking as different paths
The method depends on whether the intended slot falls within peak demand hours. An applicant can have a fair chance in a ballot without needing to refresh a website every minute, but a later general booking window uses different allocation.
The official ActiveSG FAQ says peak-hour slots use a D-14 ballot, while non-peak and unassigned ballot slots enter a first-come booking window on D-12. This is an operational fairness distinction, not a higher fee paid to win a ballot.
Players may assume ‘peak’ means only weekend evenings. The published schedule includes long daytime periods on weekends and public holidays, materially affecting which method they must use.
MyActiveSG+ treats Monday–Friday 6pm to 10pm, and Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays 7am to 10pm, as peak hours. Weekday non-peak periods are generally 7am–6pm. The system should determine classification using the actual Singapore calendar, not the user’s device time zone.
Someone working shifts should not need to compete with automated refresh scripts just to enter a ballot. A whole-day submission period improves accessibility and reduces the advantage of fast devices.
The booking guide says peak ballots open 14 days before play at midnight and remain open through 11:59pm the same day. The member enters a valid ballot request, rather than buy the slot on the spot. A submitted ballot is not confirmation of a court.
7. Make the ballot outcome and payment deadline explicit
A member may see ‘successful’ on the ballot screen and tell teammates the match is certain. If the member fails to pay by the relevant deadline, the slot can return to the wider public pool.
SportSG’s MyActiveSG+ rollout guidance describes results on D-13 and payment due by 11:59pm that day for winning peak ballots. A Gold Standard interface should show won, payment pending, payment complete and confirmed booking separately, with clear time-specific notices.
8. Release unclaimed peak slots and non-peak slots fairly
When winning ballots are not paid for, empty reservations should not be kept indefinitely. Users without a successful ballot need to know exactly when remaining inventory becomes bookable.
MyActiveSG+ ordinarily releases unassigned peak ballot slots and non-peak slots on D-12 at noon for first-come booking. The official release-timing FAQ specifies the window. The live facility record, rather than a screenshot captured earlier, determines whether a slot remains available.
9. Do not grant unofficial priority for consecutive ballot losses
A player who has missed five Saturday ballots may reasonably feel frustrated. Giving that person preferential treatment might change fairness for others, but it is not part of the published current rule.
In its 7 July 2026 parliamentary response, MCCY said the ballot does not currently account for prior unsuccessful attempts and there are no present plans to change that. A site should not advertise a loyalty or ‘unlucky loser priority’ feature that has not been implemented.
10. Stop automated scripts and multi-account manipulation
A script can attempt thousands of interactions more quickly than a resident using a normal phone, while multiple accounts can distort a fair ballot. Mere technical speed should not decide access to a shared resource.
SportSG uses authentication and fraud controls to discourage bots and multiple accounts. The no-onselling policy also prohibits automated software scripts used for booking. Legitimate users should not be pressured to supply their login to slot-reselling services.
11. State the July 2026 resale and advertising prohibition
A sports booking can be marketed online as ‘court guaranteed, transfer for a fee.’ That is not an ordinary authorised resale of private property; it can deprive another member of a fair public slot.
SportSG prohibits onselling, subletting and assigning ActiveSG bookings. Effective 15 July 2026, advertising a slot or encouraging others to resell it on social platforms is also an infringement. ActiveSG may cancel the slot without refund and suspend the offender, with escalating consequences under its rules. A public guide should discourage buying from an unauthorised seller.
12. Make the hirer’s physical presence part of the booking
A group may ask an eligible friend to book a slot while another group plans to use the court. The name on the booking then no longer identifies the person actually present, weakening the public allocation process.
ActiveSG states the member who booked must be present and participating during the play session, and staff may verify the booking on site. The official guidance warns of cancellation and no refund for non-compliance. That rule should appear on the confirmation, not only in distant legal terms.
13. Show total price, credit use and payment status
A member may have ActiveSG credits and want to use them toward booking. The service should clearly state the eligible amount, any cash balance, expiry conditions and whether the charge successfully settled.
MyActiveSG+ offers ActiveSG credit use for qualifying facility bookings. A successful card or PayNow payment and a confirmed slot are both necessary service records. Any saved payment method belongs to the real account holder, not a broker offering a temporary court.
14. Date credit-expiry information rather than assuming permanence
Some members hold leftover credits from earlier national incentive campaigns and think they remain available forever. A fee summary should rely on the actual account balance and current validity.
SportSG’s 2025 credit-announcement guidance rolled unused ActiveSG credits to 31 December 2026, with subsequent rollover conditions tied to qualifying 2026 transaction activity. A public booking guide should label that timetable and defer to the member’s real account rather than promise every incentive is perpetual.
Even a correctly paid booking may become unusable if the venue closes for maintenance or weather safety. A stale booking can cause a family to travel across the island for no possible game.
MyActiveSG+ publishes booking and cancellation notifications as well as closure information. The service should connect maintenance and operational restrictions to affected users promptly, with a clear route to legitimate replacement or refund where applicable.
16. Communicate by the notification channel that is actually used
A member may be waiting for an SMS confirmation that will not arrive because the platform changed its communication policy. Absence of text does not necessarily mean the booking failed.
Since 31 August 2025, MyActiveSG+ has delivered many non-essential notifications, including facility booking confirmations and unsuccessful ballot results, by email rather than SMS. Winning-ballot and relevant cancellation notifications may still use additional channels. The platform should make the registered email and the in-account booking status easy to find.
17. Give parents authorised control over children’s bookings
A parent may want to reserve a court for a child under fifteen, while another parent is responsible for bringing the group to the venue. The transaction needs a valid linked-child relationship, and only authorised people should control the resulting slot.
MyActiveSG+ child-linking guidance lets parents link children under fifteen and book or ballot on their behalf. It says the parent who made the booking or ballot is responsible for paying and managing it. A child’s credit balance does not become an unrestricted wallet for unrelated accounts.
18. Treat pool and gym passes as different products
A tennis court has a specific date and time allocation; a gym or pool pass grants eligible entry according to pass conditions, not exclusive occupation of the whole facility.
MyActiveSG+ supports gym and swim passes, with QR-code access as newer gantries are rolled out. Certain seniors aged sixty-five and above have free entry arrangements under the specific eligibility rules. A booking system should distinguish facility hire, entry pass and programme registration, or the wrong QR code will be presented at the gate.
19. Provide a route for genuine booking disruptions
A sudden storm makes an outdoor court unsafe, or a registered member becomes unexpectedly ill. A fair public service needs a defined exception review, not automatic acceptance of every change of mind as a refundable cancellation.
SportSG’s policies distinguish ordinary confirmed bookings, which are generally subject to no-cancellation conditions, from qualifying unplayable situations such as weather, haze, facility closure or authorised discretionary cases. Members should use official ActiveSG support, identify the booking and provide relevant evidence, without an assurance that all requests are approved.
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
Some buyers of sporting slots may be tempted to let a stranger use their account to improve ballot odds. Doing so can expose personal information and undermine the very fairness rules that make subsidised access worthwhile.
MyActiveSG+ uses authenticated membership access and supports Singpass verification, including ID and password login with additional identity verification for eligible users. Never submit government credentials to a private slot broker or software bot.
4. Treat balloting and first-come booking as different paths
The method depends on whether the intended slot falls within peak demand hours. An applicant can have a fair chance in a ballot without needing to refresh a website every minute, but a later general booking window uses different allocation.
The official ActiveSG FAQ says peak-hour slots use a D-14 ballot, while non-peak and unassigned ballot slots enter a first-come booking window on D-12. This is an operational fairness distinction, not a higher fee paid to win a ballot.
Players may assume ‘peak’ means only weekend evenings. The published schedule includes long daytime periods on weekends and public holidays, materially affecting which method they must use.
MyActiveSG+ treats Monday–Friday 6pm to 10pm, and Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays 7am to 10pm, as peak hours. Weekday non-peak periods are generally 7am–6pm. The system should determine classification using the actual Singapore calendar, not the user’s device time zone.
Someone working shifts should not need to compete with automated refresh scripts just to enter a ballot. A whole-day submission period improves accessibility and reduces the advantage of fast devices.
The booking guide says peak ballots open 14 days before play at midnight and remain open through 11:59pm the same day. The member enters a valid ballot request, rather than buy the slot on the spot. A submitted ballot is not confirmation of a court.
7. Make the ballot outcome and payment deadline explicit
A member may see ‘successful’ on the ballot screen and tell teammates the match is certain. If the member fails to pay by the relevant deadline, the slot can return to the wider public pool.
SportSG’s MyActiveSG+ rollout guidance describes results on D-13 and payment due by 11:59pm that day for winning peak ballots. A Gold Standard interface should show won, payment pending, payment complete and confirmed booking separately, with clear time-specific notices.
8. Release unclaimed peak slots and non-peak slots fairly
When winning ballots are not paid for, empty reservations should not be kept indefinitely. Users without a successful ballot need to know exactly when remaining inventory becomes bookable.
MyActiveSG+ ordinarily releases unassigned peak ballot slots and non-peak slots on D-12 at noon for first-come booking. The official release-timing FAQ specifies the window. The live facility record, rather than a screenshot captured earlier, determines whether a slot remains available.
9. Do not grant unofficial priority for consecutive ballot losses
A player who has missed five Saturday ballots may reasonably feel frustrated. Giving that person preferential treatment might change fairness for others, but it is not part of the published current rule.
In its 7 July 2026 parliamentary response, MCCY said the ballot does not currently account for prior unsuccessful attempts and there are no present plans to change that. A site should not advertise a loyalty or ‘unlucky loser priority’ feature that has not been implemented.
10. Stop automated scripts and multi-account manipulation
A script can attempt thousands of interactions more quickly than a resident using a normal phone, while multiple accounts can distort a fair ballot. Mere technical speed should not decide access to a shared resource.
SportSG uses authentication and fraud controls to discourage bots and multiple accounts. The no-onselling policy also prohibits automated software scripts used for booking. Legitimate users should not be pressured to supply their login to slot-reselling services.
11. State the July 2026 resale and advertising prohibition
A sports booking can be marketed online as ‘court guaranteed, transfer for a fee.’ That is not an ordinary authorised resale of private property; it can deprive another member of a fair public slot.
SportSG prohibits onselling, subletting and assigning ActiveSG bookings. Effective 15 July 2026, advertising a slot or encouraging others to resell it on social platforms is also an infringement. ActiveSG may cancel the slot without refund and suspend the offender, with escalating consequences under its rules. A public guide should discourage buying from an unauthorised seller.
12. Make the hirer’s physical presence part of the booking
A group may ask an eligible friend to book a slot while another group plans to use the court. The name on the booking then no longer identifies the person actually present, weakening the public allocation process.
ActiveSG states the member who booked must be present and participating during the play session, and staff may verify the booking on site. The official guidance warns of cancellation and no refund for non-compliance. That rule should appear on the confirmation, not only in distant legal terms.
13. Show total price, credit use and payment status
A member may have ActiveSG credits and want to use them toward booking. The service should clearly state the eligible amount, any cash balance, expiry conditions and whether the charge successfully settled.
MyActiveSG+ offers ActiveSG credit use for qualifying facility bookings. A successful card or PayNow payment and a confirmed slot are both necessary service records. Any saved payment method belongs to the real account holder, not a broker offering a temporary court.
14. Date credit-expiry information rather than assuming permanence
Some members hold leftover credits from earlier national incentive campaigns and think they remain available forever. A fee summary should rely on the actual account balance and current validity.
SportSG’s 2025 credit-announcement guidance rolled unused ActiveSG credits to 31 December 2026, with subsequent rollover conditions tied to qualifying 2026 transaction activity. A public booking guide should label that timetable and defer to the member’s real account rather than promise every incentive is perpetual.
Even a correctly paid booking may become unusable if the venue closes for maintenance or weather safety. A stale booking can cause a family to travel across the island for no possible game.
MyActiveSG+ publishes booking and cancellation notifications as well as closure information. The service should connect maintenance and operational restrictions to affected users promptly, with a clear route to legitimate replacement or refund where applicable.
16. Communicate by the notification channel that is actually used
A member may be waiting for an SMS confirmation that will not arrive because the platform changed its communication policy. Absence of text does not necessarily mean the booking failed.
Since 31 August 2025, MyActiveSG+ has delivered many non-essential notifications, including facility booking confirmations and unsuccessful ballot results, by email rather than SMS. Winning-ballot and relevant cancellation notifications may still use additional channels. The platform should make the registered email and the in-account booking status easy to find.
17. Give parents authorised control over children’s bookings
A parent may want to reserve a court for a child under fifteen, while another parent is responsible for bringing the group to the venue. The transaction needs a valid linked-child relationship, and only authorised people should control the resulting slot.
MyActiveSG+ child-linking guidance lets parents link children under fifteen and book or ballot on their behalf. It says the parent who made the booking or ballot is responsible for paying and managing it. A child’s credit balance does not become an unrestricted wallet for unrelated accounts.
18. Treat pool and gym passes as different products
A tennis court has a specific date and time allocation; a gym or pool pass grants eligible entry according to pass conditions, not exclusive occupation of the whole facility.
MyActiveSG+ supports gym and swim passes, with QR-code access as newer gantries are rolled out. Certain seniors aged sixty-five and above have free entry arrangements under the specific eligibility rules. A booking system should distinguish facility hire, entry pass and programme registration, or the wrong QR code will be presented at the gate.
19. Provide a route for genuine booking disruptions
A sudden storm makes an outdoor court unsafe, or a registered member becomes unexpectedly ill. A fair public service needs a defined exception review, not automatic acceptance of every change of mind as a refundable cancellation.
SportSG’s policies distinguish ordinary confirmed bookings, which are generally subject to no-cancellation conditions, from qualifying unplayable situations such as weather, haze, facility closure or authorised discretionary cases. Members should use official ActiveSG support, identify the booking and provide relevant evidence, without an assurance that all requests are approved.
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
2. Distinguish membership from ownership of a court
ActiveSG membership lets residents access eligible services and credits, but being a member does not grant a standing entitlement to the same court every week. Demand must be shared fairly.
SportSG explains that membership is free for Singaporeans and PRs and provides access to programme privileges. The relevant booking, ballot and fee rules still apply to each particular court slot. A membership receipt must not be displayed as an actual facility reservation.
Some buyers of sporting slots may be tempted to let a stranger use their account to improve ballot odds. Doing so can expose personal information and undermine the very fairness rules that make subsidised access worthwhile.
MyActiveSG+ uses authenticated membership access and supports Singpass verification, including ID and password login with additional identity verification for eligible users. Never submit government credentials to a private slot broker or software bot.
4. Treat balloting and first-come booking as different paths
The method depends on whether the intended slot falls within peak demand hours. An applicant can have a fair chance in a ballot without needing to refresh a website every minute, but a later general booking window uses different allocation.
The official ActiveSG FAQ says peak-hour slots use a D-14 ballot, while non-peak and unassigned ballot slots enter a first-come booking window on D-12. This is an operational fairness distinction, not a higher fee paid to win a ballot.
Players may assume ‘peak’ means only weekend evenings. The published schedule includes long daytime periods on weekends and public holidays, materially affecting which method they must use.
MyActiveSG+ treats Monday–Friday 6pm to 10pm, and Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays 7am to 10pm, as peak hours. Weekday non-peak periods are generally 7am–6pm. The system should determine classification using the actual Singapore calendar, not the user’s device time zone.
Someone working shifts should not need to compete with automated refresh scripts just to enter a ballot. A whole-day submission period improves accessibility and reduces the advantage of fast devices.
The booking guide says peak ballots open 14 days before play at midnight and remain open through 11:59pm the same day. The member enters a valid ballot request, rather than buy the slot on the spot. A submitted ballot is not confirmation of a court.
7. Make the ballot outcome and payment deadline explicit
A member may see ‘successful’ on the ballot screen and tell teammates the match is certain. If the member fails to pay by the relevant deadline, the slot can return to the wider public pool.
SportSG’s MyActiveSG+ rollout guidance describes results on D-13 and payment due by 11:59pm that day for winning peak ballots. A Gold Standard interface should show won, payment pending, payment complete and confirmed booking separately, with clear time-specific notices.
8. Release unclaimed peak slots and non-peak slots fairly
When winning ballots are not paid for, empty reservations should not be kept indefinitely. Users without a successful ballot need to know exactly when remaining inventory becomes bookable.
MyActiveSG+ ordinarily releases unassigned peak ballot slots and non-peak slots on D-12 at noon for first-come booking. The official release-timing FAQ specifies the window. The live facility record, rather than a screenshot captured earlier, determines whether a slot remains available.
9. Do not grant unofficial priority for consecutive ballot losses
A player who has missed five Saturday ballots may reasonably feel frustrated. Giving that person preferential treatment might change fairness for others, but it is not part of the published current rule.
In its 7 July 2026 parliamentary response, MCCY said the ballot does not currently account for prior unsuccessful attempts and there are no present plans to change that. A site should not advertise a loyalty or ‘unlucky loser priority’ feature that has not been implemented.
10. Stop automated scripts and multi-account manipulation
A script can attempt thousands of interactions more quickly than a resident using a normal phone, while multiple accounts can distort a fair ballot. Mere technical speed should not decide access to a shared resource.
SportSG uses authentication and fraud controls to discourage bots and multiple accounts. The no-onselling policy also prohibits automated software scripts used for booking. Legitimate users should not be pressured to supply their login to slot-reselling services.
11. State the July 2026 resale and advertising prohibition
A sports booking can be marketed online as ‘court guaranteed, transfer for a fee.’ That is not an ordinary authorised resale of private property; it can deprive another member of a fair public slot.
SportSG prohibits onselling, subletting and assigning ActiveSG bookings. Effective 15 July 2026, advertising a slot or encouraging others to resell it on social platforms is also an infringement. ActiveSG may cancel the slot without refund and suspend the offender, with escalating consequences under its rules. A public guide should discourage buying from an unauthorised seller.
12. Make the hirer’s physical presence part of the booking
A group may ask an eligible friend to book a slot while another group plans to use the court. The name on the booking then no longer identifies the person actually present, weakening the public allocation process.
ActiveSG states the member who booked must be present and participating during the play session, and staff may verify the booking on site. The official guidance warns of cancellation and no refund for non-compliance. That rule should appear on the confirmation, not only in distant legal terms.
13. Show total price, credit use and payment status
A member may have ActiveSG credits and want to use them toward booking. The service should clearly state the eligible amount, any cash balance, expiry conditions and whether the charge successfully settled.
MyActiveSG+ offers ActiveSG credit use for qualifying facility bookings. A successful card or PayNow payment and a confirmed slot are both necessary service records. Any saved payment method belongs to the real account holder, not a broker offering a temporary court.
14. Date credit-expiry information rather than assuming permanence
Some members hold leftover credits from earlier national incentive campaigns and think they remain available forever. A fee summary should rely on the actual account balance and current validity.
SportSG’s 2025 credit-announcement guidance rolled unused ActiveSG credits to 31 December 2026, with subsequent rollover conditions tied to qualifying 2026 transaction activity. A public booking guide should label that timetable and defer to the member’s real account rather than promise every incentive is perpetual.
Even a correctly paid booking may become unusable if the venue closes for maintenance or weather safety. A stale booking can cause a family to travel across the island for no possible game.
MyActiveSG+ publishes booking and cancellation notifications as well as closure information. The service should connect maintenance and operational restrictions to affected users promptly, with a clear route to legitimate replacement or refund where applicable.
16. Communicate by the notification channel that is actually used
A member may be waiting for an SMS confirmation that will not arrive because the platform changed its communication policy. Absence of text does not necessarily mean the booking failed.
Since 31 August 2025, MyActiveSG+ has delivered many non-essential notifications, including facility booking confirmations and unsuccessful ballot results, by email rather than SMS. Winning-ballot and relevant cancellation notifications may still use additional channels. The platform should make the registered email and the in-account booking status easy to find.
17. Give parents authorised control over children’s bookings
A parent may want to reserve a court for a child under fifteen, while another parent is responsible for bringing the group to the venue. The transaction needs a valid linked-child relationship, and only authorised people should control the resulting slot.
MyActiveSG+ child-linking guidance lets parents link children under fifteen and book or ballot on their behalf. It says the parent who made the booking or ballot is responsible for paying and managing it. A child’s credit balance does not become an unrestricted wallet for unrelated accounts.
18. Treat pool and gym passes as different products
A tennis court has a specific date and time allocation; a gym or pool pass grants eligible entry according to pass conditions, not exclusive occupation of the whole facility.
MyActiveSG+ supports gym and swim passes, with QR-code access as newer gantries are rolled out. Certain seniors aged sixty-five and above have free entry arrangements under the specific eligibility rules. A booking system should distinguish facility hire, entry pass and programme registration, or the wrong QR code will be presented at the gate.
19. Provide a route for genuine booking disruptions
A sudden storm makes an outdoor court unsafe, or a registered member becomes unexpectedly ill. A fair public service needs a defined exception review, not automatic acceptance of every change of mind as a refundable cancellation.
SportSG’s policies distinguish ordinary confirmed bookings, which are generally subject to no-cancellation conditions, from qualifying unplayable situations such as weather, haze, facility closure or authorised discretionary cases. Members should use official ActiveSG support, identify the booking and provide relevant evidence, without an assurance that all requests are approved.
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
2. Distinguish membership from ownership of a court
ActiveSG membership lets residents access eligible services and credits, but being a member does not grant a standing entitlement to the same court every week. Demand must be shared fairly.
SportSG explains that membership is free for Singaporeans and PRs and provides access to programme privileges. The relevant booking, ballot and fee rules still apply to each particular court slot. A membership receipt must not be displayed as an actual facility reservation.
Some buyers of sporting slots may be tempted to let a stranger use their account to improve ballot odds. Doing so can expose personal information and undermine the very fairness rules that make subsidised access worthwhile.
MyActiveSG+ uses authenticated membership access and supports Singpass verification, including ID and password login with additional identity verification for eligible users. Never submit government credentials to a private slot broker or software bot.
4. Treat balloting and first-come booking as different paths
The method depends on whether the intended slot falls within peak demand hours. An applicant can have a fair chance in a ballot without needing to refresh a website every minute, but a later general booking window uses different allocation.
The official ActiveSG FAQ says peak-hour slots use a D-14 ballot, while non-peak and unassigned ballot slots enter a first-come booking window on D-12. This is an operational fairness distinction, not a higher fee paid to win a ballot.
Players may assume ‘peak’ means only weekend evenings. The published schedule includes long daytime periods on weekends and public holidays, materially affecting which method they must use.
MyActiveSG+ treats Monday–Friday 6pm to 10pm, and Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays 7am to 10pm, as peak hours. Weekday non-peak periods are generally 7am–6pm. The system should determine classification using the actual Singapore calendar, not the user’s device time zone.
Someone working shifts should not need to compete with automated refresh scripts just to enter a ballot. A whole-day submission period improves accessibility and reduces the advantage of fast devices.
The booking guide says peak ballots open 14 days before play at midnight and remain open through 11:59pm the same day. The member enters a valid ballot request, rather than buy the slot on the spot. A submitted ballot is not confirmation of a court.
7. Make the ballot outcome and payment deadline explicit
A member may see ‘successful’ on the ballot screen and tell teammates the match is certain. If the member fails to pay by the relevant deadline, the slot can return to the wider public pool.
SportSG’s MyActiveSG+ rollout guidance describes results on D-13 and payment due by 11:59pm that day for winning peak ballots. A Gold Standard interface should show won, payment pending, payment complete and confirmed booking separately, with clear time-specific notices.
8. Release unclaimed peak slots and non-peak slots fairly
When winning ballots are not paid for, empty reservations should not be kept indefinitely. Users without a successful ballot need to know exactly when remaining inventory becomes bookable.
MyActiveSG+ ordinarily releases unassigned peak ballot slots and non-peak slots on D-12 at noon for first-come booking. The official release-timing FAQ specifies the window. The live facility record, rather than a screenshot captured earlier, determines whether a slot remains available.
9. Do not grant unofficial priority for consecutive ballot losses
A player who has missed five Saturday ballots may reasonably feel frustrated. Giving that person preferential treatment might change fairness for others, but it is not part of the published current rule.
In its 7 July 2026 parliamentary response, MCCY said the ballot does not currently account for prior unsuccessful attempts and there are no present plans to change that. A site should not advertise a loyalty or ‘unlucky loser priority’ feature that has not been implemented.
10. Stop automated scripts and multi-account manipulation
A script can attempt thousands of interactions more quickly than a resident using a normal phone, while multiple accounts can distort a fair ballot. Mere technical speed should not decide access to a shared resource.
SportSG uses authentication and fraud controls to discourage bots and multiple accounts. The no-onselling policy also prohibits automated software scripts used for booking. Legitimate users should not be pressured to supply their login to slot-reselling services.
11. State the July 2026 resale and advertising prohibition
A sports booking can be marketed online as ‘court guaranteed, transfer for a fee.’ That is not an ordinary authorised resale of private property; it can deprive another member of a fair public slot.
SportSG prohibits onselling, subletting and assigning ActiveSG bookings. Effective 15 July 2026, advertising a slot or encouraging others to resell it on social platforms is also an infringement. ActiveSG may cancel the slot without refund and suspend the offender, with escalating consequences under its rules. A public guide should discourage buying from an unauthorised seller.
12. Make the hirer’s physical presence part of the booking
A group may ask an eligible friend to book a slot while another group plans to use the court. The name on the booking then no longer identifies the person actually present, weakening the public allocation process.
ActiveSG states the member who booked must be present and participating during the play session, and staff may verify the booking on site. The official guidance warns of cancellation and no refund for non-compliance. That rule should appear on the confirmation, not only in distant legal terms.
13. Show total price, credit use and payment status
A member may have ActiveSG credits and want to use them toward booking. The service should clearly state the eligible amount, any cash balance, expiry conditions and whether the charge successfully settled.
MyActiveSG+ offers ActiveSG credit use for qualifying facility bookings. A successful card or PayNow payment and a confirmed slot are both necessary service records. Any saved payment method belongs to the real account holder, not a broker offering a temporary court.
14. Date credit-expiry information rather than assuming permanence
Some members hold leftover credits from earlier national incentive campaigns and think they remain available forever. A fee summary should rely on the actual account balance and current validity.
SportSG’s 2025 credit-announcement guidance rolled unused ActiveSG credits to 31 December 2026, with subsequent rollover conditions tied to qualifying 2026 transaction activity. A public booking guide should label that timetable and defer to the member’s real account rather than promise every incentive is perpetual.
Even a correctly paid booking may become unusable if the venue closes for maintenance or weather safety. A stale booking can cause a family to travel across the island for no possible game.
MyActiveSG+ publishes booking and cancellation notifications as well as closure information. The service should connect maintenance and operational restrictions to affected users promptly, with a clear route to legitimate replacement or refund where applicable.
16. Communicate by the notification channel that is actually used
A member may be waiting for an SMS confirmation that will not arrive because the platform changed its communication policy. Absence of text does not necessarily mean the booking failed.
Since 31 August 2025, MyActiveSG+ has delivered many non-essential notifications, including facility booking confirmations and unsuccessful ballot results, by email rather than SMS. Winning-ballot and relevant cancellation notifications may still use additional channels. The platform should make the registered email and the in-account booking status easy to find.
17. Give parents authorised control over children’s bookings
A parent may want to reserve a court for a child under fifteen, while another parent is responsible for bringing the group to the venue. The transaction needs a valid linked-child relationship, and only authorised people should control the resulting slot.
MyActiveSG+ child-linking guidance lets parents link children under fifteen and book or ballot on their behalf. It says the parent who made the booking or ballot is responsible for paying and managing it. A child’s credit balance does not become an unrestricted wallet for unrelated accounts.
18. Treat pool and gym passes as different products
A tennis court has a specific date and time allocation; a gym or pool pass grants eligible entry according to pass conditions, not exclusive occupation of the whole facility.
MyActiveSG+ supports gym and swim passes, with QR-code access as newer gantries are rolled out. Certain seniors aged sixty-five and above have free entry arrangements under the specific eligibility rules. A booking system should distinguish facility hire, entry pass and programme registration, or the wrong QR code will be presented at the gate.
19. Provide a route for genuine booking disruptions
A sudden storm makes an outdoor court unsafe, or a registered member becomes unexpectedly ill. A fair public service needs a defined exception review, not automatic acceptance of every change of mind as a refundable cancellation.
SportSG’s policies distinguish ordinary confirmed bookings, which are generally subject to no-cancellation conditions, from qualifying unplayable situations such as weather, haze, facility closure or authorised discretionary cases. Members should use official ActiveSG support, identify the booking and provide relevant evidence, without an assurance that all requests are approved.
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
1. Start with the sport, suitable facility and real dates
An indoor badminton court, outdoor tennis court and swimming-pool entry are different public services. A resident should know the venue, court configuration, price and access conditions before entering a competition for scarce slots.
The ActiveSG facility directory lists courts at sport halls, schools under dual-use arrangements and other locations. A booking interface should show specific courts and dates, not just the name of a neighbourhood. A facility that appears in the directory may be closed or unavailable on the chosen evening.
2. Distinguish membership from ownership of a court
ActiveSG membership lets residents access eligible services and credits, but being a member does not grant a standing entitlement to the same court every week. Demand must be shared fairly.
SportSG explains that membership is free for Singaporeans and PRs and provides access to programme privileges. The relevant booking, ballot and fee rules still apply to each particular court slot. A membership receipt must not be displayed as an actual facility reservation.
Some buyers of sporting slots may be tempted to let a stranger use their account to improve ballot odds. Doing so can expose personal information and undermine the very fairness rules that make subsidised access worthwhile.
MyActiveSG+ uses authenticated membership access and supports Singpass verification, including ID and password login with additional identity verification for eligible users. Never submit government credentials to a private slot broker or software bot.
4. Treat balloting and first-come booking as different paths
The method depends on whether the intended slot falls within peak demand hours. An applicant can have a fair chance in a ballot without needing to refresh a website every minute, but a later general booking window uses different allocation.
The official ActiveSG FAQ says peak-hour slots use a D-14 ballot, while non-peak and unassigned ballot slots enter a first-come booking window on D-12. This is an operational fairness distinction, not a higher fee paid to win a ballot.
Players may assume ‘peak’ means only weekend evenings. The published schedule includes long daytime periods on weekends and public holidays, materially affecting which method they must use.
MyActiveSG+ treats Monday–Friday 6pm to 10pm, and Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays 7am to 10pm, as peak hours. Weekday non-peak periods are generally 7am–6pm. The system should determine classification using the actual Singapore calendar, not the user’s device time zone.
Someone working shifts should not need to compete with automated refresh scripts just to enter a ballot. A whole-day submission period improves accessibility and reduces the advantage of fast devices.
The booking guide says peak ballots open 14 days before play at midnight and remain open through 11:59pm the same day. The member enters a valid ballot request, rather than buy the slot on the spot. A submitted ballot is not confirmation of a court.
7. Make the ballot outcome and payment deadline explicit
A member may see ‘successful’ on the ballot screen and tell teammates the match is certain. If the member fails to pay by the relevant deadline, the slot can return to the wider public pool.
SportSG’s MyActiveSG+ rollout guidance describes results on D-13 and payment due by 11:59pm that day for winning peak ballots. A Gold Standard interface should show won, payment pending, payment complete and confirmed booking separately, with clear time-specific notices.
8. Release unclaimed peak slots and non-peak slots fairly
When winning ballots are not paid for, empty reservations should not be kept indefinitely. Users without a successful ballot need to know exactly when remaining inventory becomes bookable.
MyActiveSG+ ordinarily releases unassigned peak ballot slots and non-peak slots on D-12 at noon for first-come booking. The official release-timing FAQ specifies the window. The live facility record, rather than a screenshot captured earlier, determines whether a slot remains available.
9. Do not grant unofficial priority for consecutive ballot losses
A player who has missed five Saturday ballots may reasonably feel frustrated. Giving that person preferential treatment might change fairness for others, but it is not part of the published current rule.
In its 7 July 2026 parliamentary response, MCCY said the ballot does not currently account for prior unsuccessful attempts and there are no present plans to change that. A site should not advertise a loyalty or ‘unlucky loser priority’ feature that has not been implemented.
10. Stop automated scripts and multi-account manipulation
A script can attempt thousands of interactions more quickly than a resident using a normal phone, while multiple accounts can distort a fair ballot. Mere technical speed should not decide access to a shared resource.
SportSG uses authentication and fraud controls to discourage bots and multiple accounts. The no-onselling policy also prohibits automated software scripts used for booking. Legitimate users should not be pressured to supply their login to slot-reselling services.
11. State the July 2026 resale and advertising prohibition
A sports booking can be marketed online as ‘court guaranteed, transfer for a fee.’ That is not an ordinary authorised resale of private property; it can deprive another member of a fair public slot.
SportSG prohibits onselling, subletting and assigning ActiveSG bookings. Effective 15 July 2026, advertising a slot or encouraging others to resell it on social platforms is also an infringement. ActiveSG may cancel the slot without refund and suspend the offender, with escalating consequences under its rules. A public guide should discourage buying from an unauthorised seller.
12. Make the hirer’s physical presence part of the booking
A group may ask an eligible friend to book a slot while another group plans to use the court. The name on the booking then no longer identifies the person actually present, weakening the public allocation process.
ActiveSG states the member who booked must be present and participating during the play session, and staff may verify the booking on site. The official guidance warns of cancellation and no refund for non-compliance. That rule should appear on the confirmation, not only in distant legal terms.
13. Show total price, credit use and payment status
A member may have ActiveSG credits and want to use them toward booking. The service should clearly state the eligible amount, any cash balance, expiry conditions and whether the charge successfully settled.
MyActiveSG+ offers ActiveSG credit use for qualifying facility bookings. A successful card or PayNow payment and a confirmed slot are both necessary service records. Any saved payment method belongs to the real account holder, not a broker offering a temporary court.
14. Date credit-expiry information rather than assuming permanence
Some members hold leftover credits from earlier national incentive campaigns and think they remain available forever. A fee summary should rely on the actual account balance and current validity.
SportSG’s 2025 credit-announcement guidance rolled unused ActiveSG credits to 31 December 2026, with subsequent rollover conditions tied to qualifying 2026 transaction activity. A public booking guide should label that timetable and defer to the member’s real account rather than promise every incentive is perpetual.
Even a correctly paid booking may become unusable if the venue closes for maintenance or weather safety. A stale booking can cause a family to travel across the island for no possible game.
MyActiveSG+ publishes booking and cancellation notifications as well as closure information. The service should connect maintenance and operational restrictions to affected users promptly, with a clear route to legitimate replacement or refund where applicable.
16. Communicate by the notification channel that is actually used
A member may be waiting for an SMS confirmation that will not arrive because the platform changed its communication policy. Absence of text does not necessarily mean the booking failed.
Since 31 August 2025, MyActiveSG+ has delivered many non-essential notifications, including facility booking confirmations and unsuccessful ballot results, by email rather than SMS. Winning-ballot and relevant cancellation notifications may still use additional channels. The platform should make the registered email and the in-account booking status easy to find.
17. Give parents authorised control over children’s bookings
A parent may want to reserve a court for a child under fifteen, while another parent is responsible for bringing the group to the venue. The transaction needs a valid linked-child relationship, and only authorised people should control the resulting slot.
MyActiveSG+ child-linking guidance lets parents link children under fifteen and book or ballot on their behalf. It says the parent who made the booking or ballot is responsible for paying and managing it. A child’s credit balance does not become an unrestricted wallet for unrelated accounts.
18. Treat pool and gym passes as different products
A tennis court has a specific date and time allocation; a gym or pool pass grants eligible entry according to pass conditions, not exclusive occupation of the whole facility.
MyActiveSG+ supports gym and swim passes, with QR-code access as newer gantries are rolled out. Certain seniors aged sixty-five and above have free entry arrangements under the specific eligibility rules. A booking system should distinguish facility hire, entry pass and programme registration, or the wrong QR code will be presented at the gate.
19. Provide a route for genuine booking disruptions
A sudden storm makes an outdoor court unsafe, or a registered member becomes unexpectedly ill. A fair public service needs a defined exception review, not automatic acceptance of every change of mind as a refundable cancellation.
SportSG’s policies distinguish ordinary confirmed bookings, which are generally subject to no-cancellation conditions, from qualifying unplayable situations such as weather, haze, facility closure or authorised discretionary cases. Members should use official ActiveSG support, identify the booking and provide relevant evidence, without an assurance that all requests are approved.
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
1. Start with the sport, suitable facility and real dates
An indoor badminton court, outdoor tennis court and swimming-pool entry are different public services. A resident should know the venue, court configuration, price and access conditions before entering a competition for scarce slots.
The ActiveSG facility directory lists courts at sport halls, schools under dual-use arrangements and other locations. A booking interface should show specific courts and dates, not just the name of a neighbourhood. A facility that appears in the directory may be closed or unavailable on the chosen evening.
2. Distinguish membership from ownership of a court
ActiveSG membership lets residents access eligible services and credits, but being a member does not grant a standing entitlement to the same court every week. Demand must be shared fairly.
SportSG explains that membership is free for Singaporeans and PRs and provides access to programme privileges. The relevant booking, ballot and fee rules still apply to each particular court slot. A membership receipt must not be displayed as an actual facility reservation.
Some buyers of sporting slots may be tempted to let a stranger use their account to improve ballot odds. Doing so can expose personal information and undermine the very fairness rules that make subsidised access worthwhile.
MyActiveSG+ uses authenticated membership access and supports Singpass verification, including ID and password login with additional identity verification for eligible users. Never submit government credentials to a private slot broker or software bot.
4. Treat balloting and first-come booking as different paths
The method depends on whether the intended slot falls within peak demand hours. An applicant can have a fair chance in a ballot without needing to refresh a website every minute, but a later general booking window uses different allocation.
The official ActiveSG FAQ says peak-hour slots use a D-14 ballot, while non-peak and unassigned ballot slots enter a first-come booking window on D-12. This is an operational fairness distinction, not a higher fee paid to win a ballot.
Players may assume ‘peak’ means only weekend evenings. The published schedule includes long daytime periods on weekends and public holidays, materially affecting which method they must use.
MyActiveSG+ treats Monday–Friday 6pm to 10pm, and Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays 7am to 10pm, as peak hours. Weekday non-peak periods are generally 7am–6pm. The system should determine classification using the actual Singapore calendar, not the user’s device time zone.
Someone working shifts should not need to compete with automated refresh scripts just to enter a ballot. A whole-day submission period improves accessibility and reduces the advantage of fast devices.
The booking guide says peak ballots open 14 days before play at midnight and remain open through 11:59pm the same day. The member enters a valid ballot request, rather than buy the slot on the spot. A submitted ballot is not confirmation of a court.
7. Make the ballot outcome and payment deadline explicit
A member may see ‘successful’ on the ballot screen and tell teammates the match is certain. If the member fails to pay by the relevant deadline, the slot can return to the wider public pool.
SportSG’s MyActiveSG+ rollout guidance describes results on D-13 and payment due by 11:59pm that day for winning peak ballots. A Gold Standard interface should show won, payment pending, payment complete and confirmed booking separately, with clear time-specific notices.
8. Release unclaimed peak slots and non-peak slots fairly
When winning ballots are not paid for, empty reservations should not be kept indefinitely. Users without a successful ballot need to know exactly when remaining inventory becomes bookable.
MyActiveSG+ ordinarily releases unassigned peak ballot slots and non-peak slots on D-12 at noon for first-come booking. The official release-timing FAQ specifies the window. The live facility record, rather than a screenshot captured earlier, determines whether a slot remains available.
9. Do not grant unofficial priority for consecutive ballot losses
A player who has missed five Saturday ballots may reasonably feel frustrated. Giving that person preferential treatment might change fairness for others, but it is not part of the published current rule.
In its 7 July 2026 parliamentary response, MCCY said the ballot does not currently account for prior unsuccessful attempts and there are no present plans to change that. A site should not advertise a loyalty or ‘unlucky loser priority’ feature that has not been implemented.
10. Stop automated scripts and multi-account manipulation
A script can attempt thousands of interactions more quickly than a resident using a normal phone, while multiple accounts can distort a fair ballot. Mere technical speed should not decide access to a shared resource.
SportSG uses authentication and fraud controls to discourage bots and multiple accounts. The no-onselling policy also prohibits automated software scripts used for booking. Legitimate users should not be pressured to supply their login to slot-reselling services.
11. State the July 2026 resale and advertising prohibition
A sports booking can be marketed online as ‘court guaranteed, transfer for a fee.’ That is not an ordinary authorised resale of private property; it can deprive another member of a fair public slot.
SportSG prohibits onselling, subletting and assigning ActiveSG bookings. Effective 15 July 2026, advertising a slot or encouraging others to resell it on social platforms is also an infringement. ActiveSG may cancel the slot without refund and suspend the offender, with escalating consequences under its rules. A public guide should discourage buying from an unauthorised seller.
12. Make the hirer’s physical presence part of the booking
A group may ask an eligible friend to book a slot while another group plans to use the court. The name on the booking then no longer identifies the person actually present, weakening the public allocation process.
ActiveSG states the member who booked must be present and participating during the play session, and staff may verify the booking on site. The official guidance warns of cancellation and no refund for non-compliance. That rule should appear on the confirmation, not only in distant legal terms.
13. Show total price, credit use and payment status
A member may have ActiveSG credits and want to use them toward booking. The service should clearly state the eligible amount, any cash balance, expiry conditions and whether the charge successfully settled.
MyActiveSG+ offers ActiveSG credit use for qualifying facility bookings. A successful card or PayNow payment and a confirmed slot are both necessary service records. Any saved payment method belongs to the real account holder, not a broker offering a temporary court.
14. Date credit-expiry information rather than assuming permanence
Some members hold leftover credits from earlier national incentive campaigns and think they remain available forever. A fee summary should rely on the actual account balance and current validity.
SportSG’s 2025 credit-announcement guidance rolled unused ActiveSG credits to 31 December 2026, with subsequent rollover conditions tied to qualifying 2026 transaction activity. A public booking guide should label that timetable and defer to the member’s real account rather than promise every incentive is perpetual.
Even a correctly paid booking may become unusable if the venue closes for maintenance or weather safety. A stale booking can cause a family to travel across the island for no possible game.
MyActiveSG+ publishes booking and cancellation notifications as well as closure information. The service should connect maintenance and operational restrictions to affected users promptly, with a clear route to legitimate replacement or refund where applicable.
16. Communicate by the notification channel that is actually used
A member may be waiting for an SMS confirmation that will not arrive because the platform changed its communication policy. Absence of text does not necessarily mean the booking failed.
Since 31 August 2025, MyActiveSG+ has delivered many non-essential notifications, including facility booking confirmations and unsuccessful ballot results, by email rather than SMS. Winning-ballot and relevant cancellation notifications may still use additional channels. The platform should make the registered email and the in-account booking status easy to find.
17. Give parents authorised control over children’s bookings
A parent may want to reserve a court for a child under fifteen, while another parent is responsible for bringing the group to the venue. The transaction needs a valid linked-child relationship, and only authorised people should control the resulting slot.
MyActiveSG+ child-linking guidance lets parents link children under fifteen and book or ballot on their behalf. It says the parent who made the booking or ballot is responsible for paying and managing it. A child’s credit balance does not become an unrestricted wallet for unrelated accounts.
18. Treat pool and gym passes as different products
A tennis court has a specific date and time allocation; a gym or pool pass grants eligible entry according to pass conditions, not exclusive occupation of the whole facility.
MyActiveSG+ supports gym and swim passes, with QR-code access as newer gantries are rolled out. Certain seniors aged sixty-five and above have free entry arrangements under the specific eligibility rules. A booking system should distinguish facility hire, entry pass and programme registration, or the wrong QR code will be presented at the gate.
19. Provide a route for genuine booking disruptions
A sudden storm makes an outdoor court unsafe, or a registered member becomes unexpectedly ill. A fair public service needs a defined exception review, not automatic acceptance of every change of mind as a refundable cancellation.
SportSG’s policies distinguish ordinary confirmed bookings, which are generally subject to no-cancellation conditions, from qualifying unplayable situations such as weather, haze, facility closure or authorised discretionary cases. Members should use official ActiveSG support, identify the booking and provide relevant evidence, without an assurance that all requests are approved.
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
An available facility, a ballot entry, a winning result and a fully paid slot are four distinct service events. Use the chapter map to identify the step where a booking decision is needed.
1. Start with the sport, suitable facility and real dates
An indoor badminton court, outdoor tennis court and swimming-pool entry are different public services. A resident should know the venue, court configuration, price and access conditions before entering a competition for scarce slots.
The ActiveSG facility directory lists courts at sport halls, schools under dual-use arrangements and other locations. A booking interface should show specific courts and dates, not just the name of a neighbourhood. A facility that appears in the directory may be closed or unavailable on the chosen evening.
2. Distinguish membership from ownership of a court
ActiveSG membership lets residents access eligible services and credits, but being a member does not grant a standing entitlement to the same court every week. Demand must be shared fairly.
SportSG explains that membership is free for Singaporeans and PRs and provides access to programme privileges. The relevant booking, ballot and fee rules still apply to each particular court slot. A membership receipt must not be displayed as an actual facility reservation.
Some buyers of sporting slots may be tempted to let a stranger use their account to improve ballot odds. Doing so can expose personal information and undermine the very fairness rules that make subsidised access worthwhile.
MyActiveSG+ uses authenticated membership access and supports Singpass verification, including ID and password login with additional identity verification for eligible users. Never submit government credentials to a private slot broker or software bot.
4. Treat balloting and first-come booking as different paths
The method depends on whether the intended slot falls within peak demand hours. An applicant can have a fair chance in a ballot without needing to refresh a website every minute, but a later general booking window uses different allocation.
The official ActiveSG FAQ says peak-hour slots use a D-14 ballot, while non-peak and unassigned ballot slots enter a first-come booking window on D-12. This is an operational fairness distinction, not a higher fee paid to win a ballot.
Players may assume ‘peak’ means only weekend evenings. The published schedule includes long daytime periods on weekends and public holidays, materially affecting which method they must use.
MyActiveSG+ treats Monday–Friday 6pm to 10pm, and Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays 7am to 10pm, as peak hours. Weekday non-peak periods are generally 7am–6pm. The system should determine classification using the actual Singapore calendar, not the user’s device time zone.
Someone working shifts should not need to compete with automated refresh scripts just to enter a ballot. A whole-day submission period improves accessibility and reduces the advantage of fast devices.
The booking guide says peak ballots open 14 days before play at midnight and remain open through 11:59pm the same day. The member enters a valid ballot request, rather than buy the slot on the spot. A submitted ballot is not confirmation of a court.
7. Make the ballot outcome and payment deadline explicit
A member may see ‘successful’ on the ballot screen and tell teammates the match is certain. If the member fails to pay by the relevant deadline, the slot can return to the wider public pool.
SportSG’s MyActiveSG+ rollout guidance describes results on D-13 and payment due by 11:59pm that day for winning peak ballots. A Gold Standard interface should show won, payment pending, payment complete and confirmed booking separately, with clear time-specific notices.
8. Release unclaimed peak slots and non-peak slots fairly
When winning ballots are not paid for, empty reservations should not be kept indefinitely. Users without a successful ballot need to know exactly when remaining inventory becomes bookable.
MyActiveSG+ ordinarily releases unassigned peak ballot slots and non-peak slots on D-12 at noon for first-come booking. The official release-timing FAQ specifies the window. The live facility record, rather than a screenshot captured earlier, determines whether a slot remains available.
9. Do not grant unofficial priority for consecutive ballot losses
A player who has missed five Saturday ballots may reasonably feel frustrated. Giving that person preferential treatment might change fairness for others, but it is not part of the published current rule.
In its 7 July 2026 parliamentary response, MCCY said the ballot does not currently account for prior unsuccessful attempts and there are no present plans to change that. A site should not advertise a loyalty or ‘unlucky loser priority’ feature that has not been implemented.
10. Stop automated scripts and multi-account manipulation
A script can attempt thousands of interactions more quickly than a resident using a normal phone, while multiple accounts can distort a fair ballot. Mere technical speed should not decide access to a shared resource.
SportSG uses authentication and fraud controls to discourage bots and multiple accounts. The no-onselling policy also prohibits automated software scripts used for booking. Legitimate users should not be pressured to supply their login to slot-reselling services.
11. State the July 2026 resale and advertising prohibition
A sports booking can be marketed online as ‘court guaranteed, transfer for a fee.’ That is not an ordinary authorised resale of private property; it can deprive another member of a fair public slot.
SportSG prohibits onselling, subletting and assigning ActiveSG bookings. Effective 15 July 2026, advertising a slot or encouraging others to resell it on social platforms is also an infringement. ActiveSG may cancel the slot without refund and suspend the offender, with escalating consequences under its rules. A public guide should discourage buying from an unauthorised seller.
12. Make the hirer’s physical presence part of the booking
A group may ask an eligible friend to book a slot while another group plans to use the court. The name on the booking then no longer identifies the person actually present, weakening the public allocation process.
ActiveSG states the member who booked must be present and participating during the play session, and staff may verify the booking on site. The official guidance warns of cancellation and no refund for non-compliance. That rule should appear on the confirmation, not only in distant legal terms.
13. Show total price, credit use and payment status
A member may have ActiveSG credits and want to use them toward booking. The service should clearly state the eligible amount, any cash balance, expiry conditions and whether the charge successfully settled.
MyActiveSG+ offers ActiveSG credit use for qualifying facility bookings. A successful card or PayNow payment and a confirmed slot are both necessary service records. Any saved payment method belongs to the real account holder, not a broker offering a temporary court.
14. Date credit-expiry information rather than assuming permanence
Some members hold leftover credits from earlier national incentive campaigns and think they remain available forever. A fee summary should rely on the actual account balance and current validity.
SportSG’s 2025 credit-announcement guidance rolled unused ActiveSG credits to 31 December 2026, with subsequent rollover conditions tied to qualifying 2026 transaction activity. A public booking guide should label that timetable and defer to the member’s real account rather than promise every incentive is perpetual.
Even a correctly paid booking may become unusable if the venue closes for maintenance or weather safety. A stale booking can cause a family to travel across the island for no possible game.
MyActiveSG+ publishes booking and cancellation notifications as well as closure information. The service should connect maintenance and operational restrictions to affected users promptly, with a clear route to legitimate replacement or refund where applicable.
16. Communicate by the notification channel that is actually used
A member may be waiting for an SMS confirmation that will not arrive because the platform changed its communication policy. Absence of text does not necessarily mean the booking failed.
Since 31 August 2025, MyActiveSG+ has delivered many non-essential notifications, including facility booking confirmations and unsuccessful ballot results, by email rather than SMS. Winning-ballot and relevant cancellation notifications may still use additional channels. The platform should make the registered email and the in-account booking status easy to find.
17. Give parents authorised control over children’s bookings
A parent may want to reserve a court for a child under fifteen, while another parent is responsible for bringing the group to the venue. The transaction needs a valid linked-child relationship, and only authorised people should control the resulting slot.
MyActiveSG+ child-linking guidance lets parents link children under fifteen and book or ballot on their behalf. It says the parent who made the booking or ballot is responsible for paying and managing it. A child’s credit balance does not become an unrestricted wallet for unrelated accounts.
18. Treat pool and gym passes as different products
A tennis court has a specific date and time allocation; a gym or pool pass grants eligible entry according to pass conditions, not exclusive occupation of the whole facility.
MyActiveSG+ supports gym and swim passes, with QR-code access as newer gantries are rolled out. Certain seniors aged sixty-five and above have free entry arrangements under the specific eligibility rules. A booking system should distinguish facility hire, entry pass and programme registration, or the wrong QR code will be presented at the gate.
19. Provide a route for genuine booking disruptions
A sudden storm makes an outdoor court unsafe, or a registered member becomes unexpectedly ill. A fair public service needs a defined exception review, not automatic acceptance of every change of mind as a refundable cancellation.
SportSG’s policies distinguish ordinary confirmed bookings, which are generally subject to no-cancellation conditions, from qualifying unplayable situations such as weather, haze, facility closure or authorised discretionary cases. Members should use official ActiveSG support, identify the booking and provide relevant evidence, without an assurance that all requests are approved.
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
An available facility, a ballot entry, a winning result and a fully paid slot are four distinct service events. Use the chapter map to identify the step where a booking decision is needed.
1. Start with the sport, suitable facility and real dates
An indoor badminton court, outdoor tennis court and swimming-pool entry are different public services. A resident should know the venue, court configuration, price and access conditions before entering a competition for scarce slots.
The ActiveSG facility directory lists courts at sport halls, schools under dual-use arrangements and other locations. A booking interface should show specific courts and dates, not just the name of a neighbourhood. A facility that appears in the directory may be closed or unavailable on the chosen evening.
2. Distinguish membership from ownership of a court
ActiveSG membership lets residents access eligible services and credits, but being a member does not grant a standing entitlement to the same court every week. Demand must be shared fairly.
SportSG explains that membership is free for Singaporeans and PRs and provides access to programme privileges. The relevant booking, ballot and fee rules still apply to each particular court slot. A membership receipt must not be displayed as an actual facility reservation.
Some buyers of sporting slots may be tempted to let a stranger use their account to improve ballot odds. Doing so can expose personal information and undermine the very fairness rules that make subsidised access worthwhile.
MyActiveSG+ uses authenticated membership access and supports Singpass verification, including ID and password login with additional identity verification for eligible users. Never submit government credentials to a private slot broker or software bot.
4. Treat balloting and first-come booking as different paths
The method depends on whether the intended slot falls within peak demand hours. An applicant can have a fair chance in a ballot without needing to refresh a website every minute, but a later general booking window uses different allocation.
The official ActiveSG FAQ says peak-hour slots use a D-14 ballot, while non-peak and unassigned ballot slots enter a first-come booking window on D-12. This is an operational fairness distinction, not a higher fee paid to win a ballot.
Players may assume ‘peak’ means only weekend evenings. The published schedule includes long daytime periods on weekends and public holidays, materially affecting which method they must use.
MyActiveSG+ treats Monday–Friday 6pm to 10pm, and Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays 7am to 10pm, as peak hours. Weekday non-peak periods are generally 7am–6pm. The system should determine classification using the actual Singapore calendar, not the user’s device time zone.
Someone working shifts should not need to compete with automated refresh scripts just to enter a ballot. A whole-day submission period improves accessibility and reduces the advantage of fast devices.
The booking guide says peak ballots open 14 days before play at midnight and remain open through 11:59pm the same day. The member enters a valid ballot request, rather than buy the slot on the spot. A submitted ballot is not confirmation of a court.
7. Make the ballot outcome and payment deadline explicit
A member may see ‘successful’ on the ballot screen and tell teammates the match is certain. If the member fails to pay by the relevant deadline, the slot can return to the wider public pool.
SportSG’s MyActiveSG+ rollout guidance describes results on D-13 and payment due by 11:59pm that day for winning peak ballots. A Gold Standard interface should show won, payment pending, payment complete and confirmed booking separately, with clear time-specific notices.
8. Release unclaimed peak slots and non-peak slots fairly
When winning ballots are not paid for, empty reservations should not be kept indefinitely. Users without a successful ballot need to know exactly when remaining inventory becomes bookable.
MyActiveSG+ ordinarily releases unassigned peak ballot slots and non-peak slots on D-12 at noon for first-come booking. The official release-timing FAQ specifies the window. The live facility record, rather than a screenshot captured earlier, determines whether a slot remains available.
9. Do not grant unofficial priority for consecutive ballot losses
A player who has missed five Saturday ballots may reasonably feel frustrated. Giving that person preferential treatment might change fairness for others, but it is not part of the published current rule.
In its 7 July 2026 parliamentary response, MCCY said the ballot does not currently account for prior unsuccessful attempts and there are no present plans to change that. A site should not advertise a loyalty or ‘unlucky loser priority’ feature that has not been implemented.
10. Stop automated scripts and multi-account manipulation
A script can attempt thousands of interactions more quickly than a resident using a normal phone, while multiple accounts can distort a fair ballot. Mere technical speed should not decide access to a shared resource.
SportSG uses authentication and fraud controls to discourage bots and multiple accounts. The no-onselling policy also prohibits automated software scripts used for booking. Legitimate users should not be pressured to supply their login to slot-reselling services.
11. State the July 2026 resale and advertising prohibition
A sports booking can be marketed online as ‘court guaranteed, transfer for a fee.’ That is not an ordinary authorised resale of private property; it can deprive another member of a fair public slot.
SportSG prohibits onselling, subletting and assigning ActiveSG bookings. Effective 15 July 2026, advertising a slot or encouraging others to resell it on social platforms is also an infringement. ActiveSG may cancel the slot without refund and suspend the offender, with escalating consequences under its rules. A public guide should discourage buying from an unauthorised seller.
12. Make the hirer’s physical presence part of the booking
A group may ask an eligible friend to book a slot while another group plans to use the court. The name on the booking then no longer identifies the person actually present, weakening the public allocation process.
ActiveSG states the member who booked must be present and participating during the play session, and staff may verify the booking on site. The official guidance warns of cancellation and no refund for non-compliance. That rule should appear on the confirmation, not only in distant legal terms.
13. Show total price, credit use and payment status
A member may have ActiveSG credits and want to use them toward booking. The service should clearly state the eligible amount, any cash balance, expiry conditions and whether the charge successfully settled.
MyActiveSG+ offers ActiveSG credit use for qualifying facility bookings. A successful card or PayNow payment and a confirmed slot are both necessary service records. Any saved payment method belongs to the real account holder, not a broker offering a temporary court.
14. Date credit-expiry information rather than assuming permanence
Some members hold leftover credits from earlier national incentive campaigns and think they remain available forever. A fee summary should rely on the actual account balance and current validity.
SportSG’s 2025 credit-announcement guidance rolled unused ActiveSG credits to 31 December 2026, with subsequent rollover conditions tied to qualifying 2026 transaction activity. A public booking guide should label that timetable and defer to the member’s real account rather than promise every incentive is perpetual.
Even a correctly paid booking may become unusable if the venue closes for maintenance or weather safety. A stale booking can cause a family to travel across the island for no possible game.
MyActiveSG+ publishes booking and cancellation notifications as well as closure information. The service should connect maintenance and operational restrictions to affected users promptly, with a clear route to legitimate replacement or refund where applicable.
16. Communicate by the notification channel that is actually used
A member may be waiting for an SMS confirmation that will not arrive because the platform changed its communication policy. Absence of text does not necessarily mean the booking failed.
Since 31 August 2025, MyActiveSG+ has delivered many non-essential notifications, including facility booking confirmations and unsuccessful ballot results, by email rather than SMS. Winning-ballot and relevant cancellation notifications may still use additional channels. The platform should make the registered email and the in-account booking status easy to find.
17. Give parents authorised control over children’s bookings
A parent may want to reserve a court for a child under fifteen, while another parent is responsible for bringing the group to the venue. The transaction needs a valid linked-child relationship, and only authorised people should control the resulting slot.
MyActiveSG+ child-linking guidance lets parents link children under fifteen and book or ballot on their behalf. It says the parent who made the booking or ballot is responsible for paying and managing it. A child’s credit balance does not become an unrestricted wallet for unrelated accounts.
18. Treat pool and gym passes as different products
A tennis court has a specific date and time allocation; a gym or pool pass grants eligible entry according to pass conditions, not exclusive occupation of the whole facility.
MyActiveSG+ supports gym and swim passes, with QR-code access as newer gantries are rolled out. Certain seniors aged sixty-five and above have free entry arrangements under the specific eligibility rules. A booking system should distinguish facility hire, entry pass and programme registration, or the wrong QR code will be presented at the gate.
19. Provide a route for genuine booking disruptions
A sudden storm makes an outdoor court unsafe, or a registered member becomes unexpectedly ill. A fair public service needs a defined exception review, not automatic acceptance of every change of mind as a refundable cancellation.
SportSG’s policies distinguish ordinary confirmed bookings, which are generally subject to no-cancellation conditions, from qualifying unplayable situations such as weather, haze, facility closure or authorised discretionary cases. Members should use official ActiveSG support, identify the booking and provide relevant evidence, without an assurance that all requests are approved.
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
A group of friends wants an affordable badminton court for Saturday evening. One friend thinks the best way is to refresh a booking page at midnight. Another enters the ActiveSG ballot and assumes a successful result automatically means the slot is theirs. A third offers to buy a slot advertised on social media. Those are three very different routes—and only a properly confirmed, lawful booking provides reliable access to the court.
The Gold Standard of ActiveSG Sports Facility Booking Services is a fair public allocation of scarce time and space: accessible discovery, one legitimate account per member, transparent ballots and booking windows, genuine payment confirmation, safe on-site participation and accurate resolution of closures or payment issues. It should enable residents to play rather than reward bots or people profiting from reselling publicly supported slots.
Singapore’s MyActiveSG+, operated under Sport Singapore, provides a current 2026 example. A 7 July 2026 parliamentary response confirmed that unsuccessful ballot histories are not currently used to increase someone’s chance next time; and from 15 July 2026, advertising bookings to encourage resale is itself a policy infringement. This is a booking-service guide, distinct from eduKate’s Sports Facilities article on physical maintenance.
From finding a court to a lawful hour of play
An available facility, a ballot entry, a winning result and a fully paid slot are four distinct service events. Use the chapter map to identify the step where a booking decision is needed.
1. Start with the sport, suitable facility and real dates
An indoor badminton court, outdoor tennis court and swimming-pool entry are different public services. A resident should know the venue, court configuration, price and access conditions before entering a competition for scarce slots.
The ActiveSG facility directory lists courts at sport halls, schools under dual-use arrangements and other locations. A booking interface should show specific courts and dates, not just the name of a neighbourhood. A facility that appears in the directory may be closed or unavailable on the chosen evening.
2. Distinguish membership from ownership of a court
ActiveSG membership lets residents access eligible services and credits, but being a member does not grant a standing entitlement to the same court every week. Demand must be shared fairly.
SportSG explains that membership is free for Singaporeans and PRs and provides access to programme privileges. The relevant booking, ballot and fee rules still apply to each particular court slot. A membership receipt must not be displayed as an actual facility reservation.
Some buyers of sporting slots may be tempted to let a stranger use their account to improve ballot odds. Doing so can expose personal information and undermine the very fairness rules that make subsidised access worthwhile.
MyActiveSG+ uses authenticated membership access and supports Singpass verification, including ID and password login with additional identity verification for eligible users. Never submit government credentials to a private slot broker or software bot.
4. Treat balloting and first-come booking as different paths
The method depends on whether the intended slot falls within peak demand hours. An applicant can have a fair chance in a ballot without needing to refresh a website every minute, but a later general booking window uses different allocation.
The official ActiveSG FAQ says peak-hour slots use a D-14 ballot, while non-peak and unassigned ballot slots enter a first-come booking window on D-12. This is an operational fairness distinction, not a higher fee paid to win a ballot.
Players may assume ‘peak’ means only weekend evenings. The published schedule includes long daytime periods on weekends and public holidays, materially affecting which method they must use.
MyActiveSG+ treats Monday–Friday 6pm to 10pm, and Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays 7am to 10pm, as peak hours. Weekday non-peak periods are generally 7am–6pm. The system should determine classification using the actual Singapore calendar, not the user’s device time zone.
Someone working shifts should not need to compete with automated refresh scripts just to enter a ballot. A whole-day submission period improves accessibility and reduces the advantage of fast devices.
The booking guide says peak ballots open 14 days before play at midnight and remain open through 11:59pm the same day. The member enters a valid ballot request, rather than buy the slot on the spot. A submitted ballot is not confirmation of a court.
7. Make the ballot outcome and payment deadline explicit
A member may see ‘successful’ on the ballot screen and tell teammates the match is certain. If the member fails to pay by the relevant deadline, the slot can return to the wider public pool.
SportSG’s MyActiveSG+ rollout guidance describes results on D-13 and payment due by 11:59pm that day for winning peak ballots. A Gold Standard interface should show won, payment pending, payment complete and confirmed booking separately, with clear time-specific notices.
8. Release unclaimed peak slots and non-peak slots fairly
When winning ballots are not paid for, empty reservations should not be kept indefinitely. Users without a successful ballot need to know exactly when remaining inventory becomes bookable.
MyActiveSG+ ordinarily releases unassigned peak ballot slots and non-peak slots on D-12 at noon for first-come booking. The official release-timing FAQ specifies the window. The live facility record, rather than a screenshot captured earlier, determines whether a slot remains available.
9. Do not grant unofficial priority for consecutive ballot losses
A player who has missed five Saturday ballots may reasonably feel frustrated. Giving that person preferential treatment might change fairness for others, but it is not part of the published current rule.
In its 7 July 2026 parliamentary response, MCCY said the ballot does not currently account for prior unsuccessful attempts and there are no present plans to change that. A site should not advertise a loyalty or ‘unlucky loser priority’ feature that has not been implemented.
10. Stop automated scripts and multi-account manipulation
A script can attempt thousands of interactions more quickly than a resident using a normal phone, while multiple accounts can distort a fair ballot. Mere technical speed should not decide access to a shared resource.
SportSG uses authentication and fraud controls to discourage bots and multiple accounts. The no-onselling policy also prohibits automated software scripts used for booking. Legitimate users should not be pressured to supply their login to slot-reselling services.
11. State the July 2026 resale and advertising prohibition
A sports booking can be marketed online as ‘court guaranteed, transfer for a fee.’ That is not an ordinary authorised resale of private property; it can deprive another member of a fair public slot.
SportSG prohibits onselling, subletting and assigning ActiveSG bookings. Effective 15 July 2026, advertising a slot or encouraging others to resell it on social platforms is also an infringement. ActiveSG may cancel the slot without refund and suspend the offender, with escalating consequences under its rules. A public guide should discourage buying from an unauthorised seller.
12. Make the hirer’s physical presence part of the booking
A group may ask an eligible friend to book a slot while another group plans to use the court. The name on the booking then no longer identifies the person actually present, weakening the public allocation process.
ActiveSG states the member who booked must be present and participating during the play session, and staff may verify the booking on site. The official guidance warns of cancellation and no refund for non-compliance. That rule should appear on the confirmation, not only in distant legal terms.
13. Show total price, credit use and payment status
A member may have ActiveSG credits and want to use them toward booking. The service should clearly state the eligible amount, any cash balance, expiry conditions and whether the charge successfully settled.
MyActiveSG+ offers ActiveSG credit use for qualifying facility bookings. A successful card or PayNow payment and a confirmed slot are both necessary service records. Any saved payment method belongs to the real account holder, not a broker offering a temporary court.
14. Date credit-expiry information rather than assuming permanence
Some members hold leftover credits from earlier national incentive campaigns and think they remain available forever. A fee summary should rely on the actual account balance and current validity.
SportSG’s 2025 credit-announcement guidance rolled unused ActiveSG credits to 31 December 2026, with subsequent rollover conditions tied to qualifying 2026 transaction activity. A public booking guide should label that timetable and defer to the member’s real account rather than promise every incentive is perpetual.
Even a correctly paid booking may become unusable if the venue closes for maintenance or weather safety. A stale booking can cause a family to travel across the island for no possible game.
MyActiveSG+ publishes booking and cancellation notifications as well as closure information. The service should connect maintenance and operational restrictions to affected users promptly, with a clear route to legitimate replacement or refund where applicable.
16. Communicate by the notification channel that is actually used
A member may be waiting for an SMS confirmation that will not arrive because the platform changed its communication policy. Absence of text does not necessarily mean the booking failed.
Since 31 August 2025, MyActiveSG+ has delivered many non-essential notifications, including facility booking confirmations and unsuccessful ballot results, by email rather than SMS. Winning-ballot and relevant cancellation notifications may still use additional channels. The platform should make the registered email and the in-account booking status easy to find.
17. Give parents authorised control over children’s bookings
A parent may want to reserve a court for a child under fifteen, while another parent is responsible for bringing the group to the venue. The transaction needs a valid linked-child relationship, and only authorised people should control the resulting slot.
MyActiveSG+ child-linking guidance lets parents link children under fifteen and book or ballot on their behalf. It says the parent who made the booking or ballot is responsible for paying and managing it. A child’s credit balance does not become an unrestricted wallet for unrelated accounts.
18. Treat pool and gym passes as different products
A tennis court has a specific date and time allocation; a gym or pool pass grants eligible entry according to pass conditions, not exclusive occupation of the whole facility.
MyActiveSG+ supports gym and swim passes, with QR-code access as newer gantries are rolled out. Certain seniors aged sixty-five and above have free entry arrangements under the specific eligibility rules. A booking system should distinguish facility hire, entry pass and programme registration, or the wrong QR code will be presented at the gate.
19. Provide a route for genuine booking disruptions
A sudden storm makes an outdoor court unsafe, or a registered member becomes unexpectedly ill. A fair public service needs a defined exception review, not automatic acceptance of every change of mind as a refundable cancellation.
SportSG’s policies distinguish ordinary confirmed bookings, which are generally subject to no-cancellation conditions, from qualifying unplayable situations such as weather, haze, facility closure or authorised discretionary cases. Members should use official ActiveSG support, identify the booking and provide relevant evidence, without an assurance that all requests are approved.
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
A group of friends wants an affordable badminton court for Saturday evening. One friend thinks the best way is to refresh a booking page at midnight. Another enters the ActiveSG ballot and assumes a successful result automatically means the slot is theirs. A third offers to buy a slot advertised on social media. Those are three very different routes—and only a properly confirmed, lawful booking provides reliable access to the court.
The Gold Standard of ActiveSG Sports Facility Booking Services is a fair public allocation of scarce time and space: accessible discovery, one legitimate account per member, transparent ballots and booking windows, genuine payment confirmation, safe on-site participation and accurate resolution of closures or payment issues. It should enable residents to play rather than reward bots or people profiting from reselling publicly supported slots.
Singapore’s MyActiveSG+, operated under Sport Singapore, provides a current 2026 example. A 7 July 2026 parliamentary response confirmed that unsuccessful ballot histories are not currently used to increase someone’s chance next time; and from 15 July 2026, advertising bookings to encourage resale is itself a policy infringement. This is a booking-service guide, distinct from eduKate’s Sports Facilities article on physical maintenance.
From finding a court to a lawful hour of play
An available facility, a ballot entry, a winning result and a fully paid slot are four distinct service events. Use the chapter map to identify the step where a booking decision is needed.
1. Start with the sport, suitable facility and real dates
An indoor badminton court, outdoor tennis court and swimming-pool entry are different public services. A resident should know the venue, court configuration, price and access conditions before entering a competition for scarce slots.
The ActiveSG facility directory lists courts at sport halls, schools under dual-use arrangements and other locations. A booking interface should show specific courts and dates, not just the name of a neighbourhood. A facility that appears in the directory may be closed or unavailable on the chosen evening.
2. Distinguish membership from ownership of a court
ActiveSG membership lets residents access eligible services and credits, but being a member does not grant a standing entitlement to the same court every week. Demand must be shared fairly.
SportSG explains that membership is free for Singaporeans and PRs and provides access to programme privileges. The relevant booking, ballot and fee rules still apply to each particular court slot. A membership receipt must not be displayed as an actual facility reservation.
Some buyers of sporting slots may be tempted to let a stranger use their account to improve ballot odds. Doing so can expose personal information and undermine the very fairness rules that make subsidised access worthwhile.
MyActiveSG+ uses authenticated membership access and supports Singpass verification, including ID and password login with additional identity verification for eligible users. Never submit government credentials to a private slot broker or software bot.
4. Treat balloting and first-come booking as different paths
The method depends on whether the intended slot falls within peak demand hours. An applicant can have a fair chance in a ballot without needing to refresh a website every minute, but a later general booking window uses different allocation.
The official ActiveSG FAQ says peak-hour slots use a D-14 ballot, while non-peak and unassigned ballot slots enter a first-come booking window on D-12. This is an operational fairness distinction, not a higher fee paid to win a ballot.
Players may assume ‘peak’ means only weekend evenings. The published schedule includes long daytime periods on weekends and public holidays, materially affecting which method they must use.
MyActiveSG+ treats Monday–Friday 6pm to 10pm, and Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays 7am to 10pm, as peak hours. Weekday non-peak periods are generally 7am–6pm. The system should determine classification using the actual Singapore calendar, not the user’s device time zone.
Someone working shifts should not need to compete with automated refresh scripts just to enter a ballot. A whole-day submission period improves accessibility and reduces the advantage of fast devices.
The booking guide says peak ballots open 14 days before play at midnight and remain open through 11:59pm the same day. The member enters a valid ballot request, rather than buy the slot on the spot. A submitted ballot is not confirmation of a court.
7. Make the ballot outcome and payment deadline explicit
A member may see ‘successful’ on the ballot screen and tell teammates the match is certain. If the member fails to pay by the relevant deadline, the slot can return to the wider public pool.
SportSG’s MyActiveSG+ rollout guidance describes results on D-13 and payment due by 11:59pm that day for winning peak ballots. A Gold Standard interface should show won, payment pending, payment complete and confirmed booking separately, with clear time-specific notices.
8. Release unclaimed peak slots and non-peak slots fairly
When winning ballots are not paid for, empty reservations should not be kept indefinitely. Users without a successful ballot need to know exactly when remaining inventory becomes bookable.
MyActiveSG+ ordinarily releases unassigned peak ballot slots and non-peak slots on D-12 at noon for first-come booking. The official release-timing FAQ specifies the window. The live facility record, rather than a screenshot captured earlier, determines whether a slot remains available.
9. Do not grant unofficial priority for consecutive ballot losses
A player who has missed five Saturday ballots may reasonably feel frustrated. Giving that person preferential treatment might change fairness for others, but it is not part of the published current rule.
In its 7 July 2026 parliamentary response, MCCY said the ballot does not currently account for prior unsuccessful attempts and there are no present plans to change that. A site should not advertise a loyalty or ‘unlucky loser priority’ feature that has not been implemented.
10. Stop automated scripts and multi-account manipulation
A script can attempt thousands of interactions more quickly than a resident using a normal phone, while multiple accounts can distort a fair ballot. Mere technical speed should not decide access to a shared resource.
SportSG uses authentication and fraud controls to discourage bots and multiple accounts. The no-onselling policy also prohibits automated software scripts used for booking. Legitimate users should not be pressured to supply their login to slot-reselling services.
11. State the July 2026 resale and advertising prohibition
A sports booking can be marketed online as ‘court guaranteed, transfer for a fee.’ That is not an ordinary authorised resale of private property; it can deprive another member of a fair public slot.
SportSG prohibits onselling, subletting and assigning ActiveSG bookings. Effective 15 July 2026, advertising a slot or encouraging others to resell it on social platforms is also an infringement. ActiveSG may cancel the slot without refund and suspend the offender, with escalating consequences under its rules. A public guide should discourage buying from an unauthorised seller.
12. Make the hirer’s physical presence part of the booking
A group may ask an eligible friend to book a slot while another group plans to use the court. The name on the booking then no longer identifies the person actually present, weakening the public allocation process.
ActiveSG states the member who booked must be present and participating during the play session, and staff may verify the booking on site. The official guidance warns of cancellation and no refund for non-compliance. That rule should appear on the confirmation, not only in distant legal terms.
13. Show total price, credit use and payment status
A member may have ActiveSG credits and want to use them toward booking. The service should clearly state the eligible amount, any cash balance, expiry conditions and whether the charge successfully settled.
MyActiveSG+ offers ActiveSG credit use for qualifying facility bookings. A successful card or PayNow payment and a confirmed slot are both necessary service records. Any saved payment method belongs to the real account holder, not a broker offering a temporary court.
14. Date credit-expiry information rather than assuming permanence
Some members hold leftover credits from earlier national incentive campaigns and think they remain available forever. A fee summary should rely on the actual account balance and current validity.
SportSG’s 2025 credit-announcement guidance rolled unused ActiveSG credits to 31 December 2026, with subsequent rollover conditions tied to qualifying 2026 transaction activity. A public booking guide should label that timetable and defer to the member’s real account rather than promise every incentive is perpetual.
Even a correctly paid booking may become unusable if the venue closes for maintenance or weather safety. A stale booking can cause a family to travel across the island for no possible game.
MyActiveSG+ publishes booking and cancellation notifications as well as closure information. The service should connect maintenance and operational restrictions to affected users promptly, with a clear route to legitimate replacement or refund where applicable.
16. Communicate by the notification channel that is actually used
A member may be waiting for an SMS confirmation that will not arrive because the platform changed its communication policy. Absence of text does not necessarily mean the booking failed.
Since 31 August 2025, MyActiveSG+ has delivered many non-essential notifications, including facility booking confirmations and unsuccessful ballot results, by email rather than SMS. Winning-ballot and relevant cancellation notifications may still use additional channels. The platform should make the registered email and the in-account booking status easy to find.
17. Give parents authorised control over children’s bookings
A parent may want to reserve a court for a child under fifteen, while another parent is responsible for bringing the group to the venue. The transaction needs a valid linked-child relationship, and only authorised people should control the resulting slot.
MyActiveSG+ child-linking guidance lets parents link children under fifteen and book or ballot on their behalf. It says the parent who made the booking or ballot is responsible for paying and managing it. A child’s credit balance does not become an unrestricted wallet for unrelated accounts.
18. Treat pool and gym passes as different products
A tennis court has a specific date and time allocation; a gym or pool pass grants eligible entry according to pass conditions, not exclusive occupation of the whole facility.
MyActiveSG+ supports gym and swim passes, with QR-code access as newer gantries are rolled out. Certain seniors aged sixty-five and above have free entry arrangements under the specific eligibility rules. A booking system should distinguish facility hire, entry pass and programme registration, or the wrong QR code will be presented at the gate.
19. Provide a route for genuine booking disruptions
A sudden storm makes an outdoor court unsafe, or a registered member becomes unexpectedly ill. A fair public service needs a defined exception review, not automatic acceptance of every change of mind as a refundable cancellation.
SportSG’s policies distinguish ordinary confirmed bookings, which are generally subject to no-cancellation conditions, from qualifying unplayable situations such as weather, haze, facility closure or authorised discretionary cases. Members should use official ActiveSG support, identify the booking and provide relevant evidence, without an assurance that all requests are approved.
20. Reconcile an approved refund or replacement with the real account
A service officer can authorise replacement credit while the user sees no update in the wallet or receives no bank refund. Approval and settlement must be shown as different stages.
The platform should record the affected venue and session, reason for closure, approved replacement or refund, original payment instrument and completion. A case should not be treated as closed while a material refund remains uncredited or a replacement slot has not been communicated.
21. Measure actual play opportunities and fairness
High ballot volume may signal a popular sport but does not prove the public receives fair access. Conversely, a small number of unclaimed slots may indicate better allocation rather than falling demand.
The Gold Standard measures distinct members successfully booking, transparent ballot outcomes, attendance by the actual hirer, bot and onselling enforcement, unused peak-time slots and access for those without the newest phones. It is a credible route from equitable allocation to a real hour of sport.
Booking timeline: example Saturday peak-hour court
Relative date
Action
What it means
D-14 midnight to 11:59pm
Enter peak-hour ballot
Request entered; court not yet secured
D-13
Receive lottery outcome; winning entry pays before 11:59pm
Only paid booking becomes confirmed
D-12 noon
Book remaining peak and non-peak slots first-come-first-served
Available slots can be reserved and paid
Day of play
Named hirer participates and complies with venue rules
Booking actually used by eligible person
Unexpected closure
Use official support for qualifying remedies
Refund or replacement requires appropriate decision
Worked example: a winning ballot left unpaid
Fictional teammates Mei, Farid, Hana and Chen want a Saturday evening badminton court at a SportSG venue. Mei enters the D-14 ballot and is drawn successfully. She tells the others their game is confirmed but forgets the payment by 11:59pm on D-13. The slot returns to the available inventory under the booking process; the teammates have a winning-ballot record, not a valid court entitlement. Another member may find it in the D-12 release. A Gold Standard system marks every state accurately and sends useful reminders without holding public inventory indefinitely.
Frequently asked facility booking questions
Does joining a ballot mean I booked a court? No. Winning and completing payment are separate milestones.
Are peak ballots first-come-first-served? No. They use the published balloting system.
Does repeated failure give extra priority in October 2026? No. MCCY has confirmed the algorithm does not currently use previous losses.
Can I buy another person’s booking? No. SportSG prohibits resale, subletting and assignment.
Must the named hirer attend? Yes, and be part of the players, under the published rules.
Are all rain-affected bookings automatically refundable? No. Follow the current facility and approved remedy procedure.
The public sports booking service audit
Can users see exact venue, type, date, availability and current closure information?
Do peak and non-peak time windows use the actual D-14 and D-12 process?
Does a successful ballot become confirmed only after a valid payment?
Are 2026 bans on bots, slot resale and social-media advertising enforced transparently?
Can parents manage only their legitimately linked child’s booking?
Does every booking show valid hirer, amount, email confirmation and check-in requirements?
Are genuine facility closures and remedy approvals reconciled to actual refunds or replacements?
Does system reporting measure actual unique users who got to play rather than site clicks?
Official SportSG guidance and related Gold Standards
