Inside Asian Gaming

March 2013 | INSIDE ASIAN GAMING 21 FEATURES draw demand from, like Macau, or even the Philippines. What Genting can do to boost RWS’ mass-market appeal is further develop its brand and integrate it with its surrounding environment. RWS sits on the resort island of Sentosa and draws a different type of crowd than Marina Bay Sands, which is located closer to the downtown business district. It feelsmore like a beach resort than a city getaway like its massive counterpart. It has fewer Singapore expatriate customers and business travelers than MBS does. Rather, it attracts a lot of families and holiday-makers who are interested in Sentosa—which translates as “peace and tranquility” in Malay—as a holiday and resort destination, not just a place with a casino. And RWS certainly has plenty of attractions, including 1,800 rooms across six themed hotels, celebrity chef restaurants and entertainment destinations like Universal Studios and the newly opened Marine Life Park. The job for RWS will be to convert these facilities into traffic on the gaming floor. But RWS’ location on an island which for many locals is an acronym for “So Expensive andNothingtoSeeAlso”presentschallenges. Family fun—the world’s first Sesame Street-themed ride opened at Universal Studios Singapore on 1st March Dining draw— L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon The Singapore government earmarked Sentosa for development as a holiday resort for locals and tourists in the early ’70s, and since then, the island has reinvented itself as rapidly as the rest of Singapore has. RWS needs to play an active role in this continued development, from its marketing to creating new attractions, to ensure it is well- positioned to take advantage of the rapidly growing Asian tourism market.