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In addition to a casino, Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore also has six hotels, Southeast Asia's first Universal Studios theme park and trendy restaurants and shops.
Even though it has just two resort-casinos, each less than two years old, the island-nation of Singapore is on pace to generate more gaming revenue than Las Vegas, which has 41 casinos on The Strip alone.
“The final numbers for 2011 aren’t quite in yet,” said Holly Wetzel, spokesperson for the American Gaming Association. “But it is anticipated that this year Singapore could surpass Las Vegas as the world’s second-largest gaming market.”
The world’s number one gaming destination is Asia’s Macau, where 33 casinos raked in $23.5 billion of gaming revenues in 2010. “That’s more than twice the total revenue of every casino in the state of Nevada,” said David G. Schwartz, director of the Center for Gaming Research at the University of Nevada Las Vegas.
Las Vegas and Singapore, with 2010 gaming revenues of $5.8 billion and $5.1 billion, respectively, still lag way behind Macau. But that No. 2 spot is highly coveted, and analysts are predicting that in 2011 the combined gaming revenues for Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa could total $6.4 billion versus $6.2 billion for Las Vegas.
How have Singapore’s two casinos managed to beat the odds?
It may have a something to do with what’s outside the casinos.
When the Singapore government issued the licenses for these first two casinos, it did so with the understanding that gaming would be just one amenity available at “Integrated Resorts” offering a wide range of dining, retail and other non-gaming activities. (As a social safeguard, the government also ruled that Singapore citizens must pay a $100 fee to enter the casinos; visitors enter for free.)
The strategy was designed to broaden Singapore’s existing mix of offerings, “enrich the overall visitor experience and strengthen our appeal to business and leisure travelers,” said Carrie Kwik, Executive Director, Integrated Resorts, Singapore Tourism Board.
To that end, the sprawling Resorts World Sentosa is home to six hotels, including a Hard Rock Hotel and one designed and named for iconic architect Michael Graves, and Southeast Asia’s first Universal Studios theme park, which recently debuted TRANSFORMERS, The Ride. Trendy shops and restaurants, a huge maritime museum, a Las Vegas-style stage show and a marine life park said to be the largest oceanarium in the world are also onsite. A six-star spa and wellness retreat is scheduled to open soon.
The 57-floor Marina Bay Sands has three giant hotel towers capped by Sands Sky Park, a cruise ship-shaped park the size of the three football fields with an observation deck, night club, restaurants and an infinity-edge swimming pool that is the world’s largest outdoor pool at that height. On the ground, the resort has a lotus-shaped museum, entertainment venues, upscale retail stores and restaurants and, of course, a casino.
“Before the integrated resorts opened, people were wondering if Singapore was taking too many chances and trading its squeaky clean image for the sleazy version that unfortunately comes with casinos,” said Robin Goh, assistant director of communications for Resorts World Sentosa. “But here no one needs to pass through a casino to check in or get to their rooms.”
The gamble seems to be paying off.
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Find more by Harriet Baskas on StuckatTheAirport.com and follow her on Twitter.
Leave a Comment:
And Cuomo wants a casino in Aqueduct?
Las Vegas is not competing with Singapore. Most of the people who visit Las Vegas have no idea where singapore is on a map! Singapore is an international destination for experienced travelers. It is one of the "crossroads of the world". True, Macau and Singapore may compete, but the people who travel to Vegas are largely cretans IMHO.
I would not want to see Singapore overrun with the type of people who visit Las Vegas!
Almost all the people visiting the casinos in Macau and Singapore are Asians. People visiting Vegas are mostly from the U.S. The reality is there are many more Asians than Americans so in the end both Macau and Singapore will always produce more casino revenue. What will be interesting is whether Macau and Singapore allow the Palms with its Playboy club come into either city.
Well.. I live in Las Vegas. I actually go to UNLV and took a psychology class. My professor also taught the psychology of gaming course and he made an excellent course. While Macau and Singapore may have more revenue cause of population, in the end it's all possible cause of Las Vegas. Those companies were built by companies that are headquartered here right in Vegas and built the Las Vegas strip. And in the end, those people are now going for the gaming. You also realize that Las Vegas is more than that. People come here for the night scenery along with the many shows that are available. Las Vegas is also known as the city of entertainment and also uses the title "The Entertainment Capital of the World." Try googling city of entertainment. Las Vegas will probably be a search result within the top 3 probably.