Inside Asian Gaming

Country report Singapore View from the Shangri-La resort on Singapore's Sentosa Island. that many Singaporeans are no strangers to gambling. Not only have cruise com­ panies long benefited from the "cruise to nowhere" gambling cruises out ofthe Lion City, but gaming destinations such as Genting, Melbourne, Sydney, Ma­ cau, and Las Vegas have long enjoyed healthy traffic from Singaporean gam­ blers. Jn addition, online gaming and sports betting has many already well versed in gambling culture. Nor is Singapore really that squeaky clean. The city-state recently legalized bar-top dancing, while districts such as Tanjong Pagar are well known region­ ally as offering a lively gay nightlife scene. Urban redevelopment along the historic Singapore River has also seen trendy bars and restaurants emerge, many staying open late into the night. And as a seal of approval, Singapore recently got the nod from UK-based su­ perclub Ministry of Sound. Many will be watching carefully to see whether the new Clarke Quay venue will suc­ ceed where Bangkok's fledgling project failed. US ambassador to Singapore Frank Lavin meanwhile told Las Vegas Re­ view-Journal that while US bidders may be leaders worldwide, they would still have to play by Singapore rules in order to earn the nod. Singapore wanted some that were "special and original," and the win­ ner would be "someone who has of­ fered something extra," he predicted. Singapore's government would expect bidders who were somewhat deferential too, he noted. Lavin also believed there was "a thin chance" that three bidders could 16 Inside Asian Gaming September 2005 emerge ahead of the pack, leading Sin­ gapore to explore a third casino site. Either way, one benefit will be that the city may finally be able to rid itselfofthe "nerd ofAsia" reputation as the country that banned chewing gum. Until then, though, the games will be interesting to watch. As BusinessWeek asked, "how do you let down your hair when you've had a buzz cut for years?" In Singapore, at least, you try gambling. New Zea/ander Luke Clark's love of Southeast Asian studies led him to stints at writing for Trave!Asia and Trave/Weekly. Jn 2004, Luke founded Write Now to write and consult for magazines and companies. He is a member of Bamboo Allliance, a group of writers in Asia who are "passionare about travel. "