Inside Asian Gaming

September 2012 | INSIDE ASIAN GAMING 61 development of the surrounding Marina Bay and downtown areas. And the opening of Gardens by the Bay next door—a 101-hectare park on reclaimed land, part of which was open to the public earlier this year—will only serve to heighten MBS’ advantage. This has also been reflected in the interest of foreign visitors, who tend to cluster around hotel and entertainment areas in downtown Singapore rather than venturing out to Sentosa, which feels like more of an effort to get to. “Resorts World would perform better if the government allowed them to build another three to four thousand hotel rooms because most of the hotels are skewed toward the city, not skewed toward Sentosa,” says the analyst. Genting is still in the midst of its West Zone expansion. A new hotel has already soft-opened, and the addition of more rooms may help its casino win back some market share. Its Marine Life Park is set to open in the third quarter of this year. But the marketing and promotion of the casino and Sentosa Island as a destination will always be more challenging. MBS is already a Singapore icon; it sells itself on T-shirts, coffee mugs and postcards all over the city and beyond. Its status should ensure that the ball remains in its court for quite some time to come. The gaming landscape in Singapore is still fresh, however, and may still change. Regulators are mulling amendments to the Casino Control Act. More junket approvals— only two small operators have been licensed, both working with RWS—could be in the pipeline. There is even the possibility of a third casino some time in the future. Despite all that, knocking Marina Bay Sands off its perch is going to prove difficult. The monolithic three towers of its hotel with the cantilevered Skypark perched on top have already surpassed the Merlion as the city’s most recognizable icon. As long as LVS continues to leverage that into gamblers at the tables, guests in the rooms and spenders in the shops and restaurants, it should maintain its sweet spot at the top of the pile for a while yet. Log onto www.asgam. com for the latest industry intelligence and a subscription to our digital edition—all absolutely free A Sure Bet “When you’re in the airport looking at the bookshops and you see books on Singapore, I’d say 70% of all books have Marina Bay on the front cover. It is very much an iconic attraction for people coming from all around the world.” Feature