Inside Asian Gaming

O ne of the latest buzzwords that has come into general usage in the world of legal gambling is that of “Integrated Resorts” (or “IR’s” as they are sometimes known). The notion of Integrated Resorts came into prominence with the bid process for the two Singapore Casino licenses. The Singaporean government as early as 2004 made it quite clear that what they did not want was “just”casinos or resort facilities dominated by their casino operations, so they mandated that only a very small proportion of the actual physical facilities would be for casino utilization. The rest would be support facilities and consumer oriented amenities that would dominate the developments.The Singapore authorities therefore set up a licensing structure that mandated that less than ten percent of the gross floor area would be for casino use—the rest would be for hotels, theatres, convention centres, theme parks, museums, retail, and food and beverage offerings. The concept of Integrated Resorts is in reality nothing new in the world of gaming. Singaporeans were requesting international world class developments combining elements already found in other major casino developments such as the Crown Entertainment Complex in Melbourne, Australia; The Venetian and Palazzo in Las Vegas; The Atlantis on Paradise Island in the Bahamas; Genting Highlands outside of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia; or the Grand West Casino in Cape Town, South Africa, just to name a few. At present, many operators claim to have the first Integrated Resort in their region, but arguably the mid-20th century Nevada developer Jay Sarno can lay claim to the distinction of being the first to establish this type of facility.Caesars Palace—which Sarno opened in 1966—ushered in a new era for Las Vegas casino facilities. Caesars acted as a critical catalyst for the more diversified styles of casino resorts that were to follow. Sarno built the Circus Circus Casino which opened two years later as a heavily themed family resort which continued the transformation of the Las Vegas Strip and served as an The Case for Integrated Resorts Andrew MacDonald and William R Eadington provide an insight into the evolution of the concept of “Integrated Resort” Jay Sarno can lay claim to the distinction of being the first to establish an Integrated Resort, with the opening of Caesars Palace in 1966. Circus Circus Casino soon followed November 2008 | INSIDE ASIAN GAMING 37