Inside Asian Gaming

IAG FEB 2020年2月 亞博匯 28 COVER STORY Singapore initially floated enforcing a 50-50 gaming/non-gaming revenue mix. On the Las Vegas Strip about two-thirds of revenue comes from non- gaming sources, but Lee doubts any Asian destination can match that mix. “It’s really a question of market saturation,” Lee, whose Casino Urbanism project investigates the impact of gaming in Singapore, Manila and Macau, explains. Las Vegas has reached its levels of non- gaming spending because gaming has expanded across the US to saturation levels, he believes. “Until Asia has similar saturation, you’ll never get 50-50.” Despite the IRs’ dependence on gaming revenue, Singaporeauthorities remaincommitted tosuppressing it. Singapore’s decision to legalize casinos remains among the most controversial the government has ever taken, multiple sources affirm. Opposition centers on fears that casinos will increase problem gambling and gambling addiction. Along with creating a new term, integrated resort, to describe the casino complex with its vast array of non-gaming facilities, Singapore practices creative ways to discourage gaming. In addition to creating the much-needed National Council on Problem Gambling – before IRs, Singapore gaming options included horse racing, sports betting, lotteries and even slot machines in so-called “jackpot rooms” within private clubs – authorities banned casino advertising and many forms of marketing, though IRs can trumpet their non-gaming features. Gaming areas are limited to 15,000 square meters with a cap at 2,500 gaming machines. The Casino Regulatory Authority piled on licensing requirements for junket promoters to the extent that none from Macau applied. RWS works with three small junket promoters, MBS has none, so the IRs overwhelmingly source their own VIPs and hold Marina Bay Sands President and CEO George Tanasijevich 濱海灣金沙總裁及首席執行官George Tanasijevich。