Inside Asian Gaming

INSIDE ASIAN GAMING | February 2011 24 Cover Story T he Singapore government’s primary proclaimed objective in legalising casinos was to boost the Lion City’s tourism numbers. The two casinos opened last year aroundsprawling IntegratedResorts (IRs) certainly appear to have delivered on that goal. Singapore’s tourist arrivals rose 20% year-on-year in 2010 to a record 11.6 million, reversing declines of 4% and 2%, respectively, in 2009 and 2008. The 1.13 million tourist arrivals in December set a new all-timemonthly record. Notably, Singapore’s tourism figures do not include arrivals via its land border with Malaysia, which likely grew by much more. The first of the two casinos to open was at Genting Group’s Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), on the first day of Chinese New Year last year (which fell on 14th February). The casino at RWS actually opened a few days after theUS$4.7billionpropertywas officially unveiled on 20th January with four hotels and 10 restaurants (with the casino having to wait a few weeks longer to be licensed). In the 12 months since it opened on 20th January 2010, RWS has welcomed 15 million visitors. Its 1,350 hotel rooms have achieved an occupancy rate of 70%. The hotels at RWS include Hotel Michael, Hard Rock Hotel Singapore, Festive Hotel, and the by- invitation-only Crockfords Tower. This year, two more hotels—Equarius Hotel and Spa Villas—will add another 500 rooms when they are launched as part of the resort’s second phase, which will include a maritime museum, the world’s largest oceanarium and a destination spa. RWS’s key non-casino draw, Universal Studios Singapore, opened on 18th March 2010, and by the end of the year, the theme park’s visitor count passed the two million mark, even though its key attraction, the Battlestar Galactica duelling twin rollercoaster ride, had been taken offline shortly after the park’s opening until now. Universal Studios Singapore has just announced the ride will reopen on the 21st of this month, when the theme park could well experience a further spike in visitor numbers. Many Happy Returns The casino at Resorts World Sentosa will likely retain the lion’s share of the Singapore casino market in the Year of the Rabbit—though allegations of unlicensed junket activity in the city-state have led to concerns about the industry’s prospects