Singapore, the Monaco of the East

The new Casino in Singapore may generate about $1.7 billion of gaming revenue a year, Merrill Lynch said in a 16 March 2005 report, with "international premium players" making up 13 percent of the total. The old adage holds "The House ALWAYS Wins". The integrated entertainment center would match gaming income from restaurants, conferences and malls. And we are put into the F1 motor racing calendar, this figure could easily be doubled. If the Casino is sited in Marina Bay, Singapore could be like Monaco which widely seen as one of the most famous F1 racing circuits because of its tight roads, and unrelenting barriers - is kept on the calendar simply because of its glamour and history since holding its first GP in 1929. Singapore could be that, with the new Casino and an integrated F1 street racing track. The first Singapore casino will be in Sentosa by mid-2010, and the other larger one at Marina Bay a year later.

Kaching! Casino is coming to town

In 2005, Singapore reversed its decades-old ban on casino gambling in an attempt to double visitor arrivals to 17 million by 2015. 11 casino operators and property developers confirmed that they had either submitted 1 or 2 proposals for the project. These Casino proposal came from Eighth Wonder (Starwood Hotels), Wynn Resorts, CapitaLand (MGM Mirage), CapitaLand (Kerzner International), Tabcorp, PBL and Melco International, New Century Group, Genting & Star Cruises, Sun International, Keppel Land & Harrah´s Entertainment, and Greek Mythology. Most will bet on Genting as the winner $$$

Update:The first contract was awarded in May to Las Vegas Sands, which plans to open its casino resort by July 2009 in Marina Bay. Singapore awarded its second casino resort contract Friday to Genting International, whose proposal of a venture worth 5.2 billion Singapore dollars is intended to lure thousands of visitors with a Universal Studios theme park and a huge outdoor marine park. This Casino will be named Resort World is scheduled to open in 2010 on a site of 49 hectares, or 121 acres, on Sentosa Island.

Marina Bayfront Casino Resort Site

The world´s major casino operators, which have submitted concept proposals for Singapore´s first integrated resort, appear to favour the site at Marina Bayfront, compared with Sentosa. 

The integrated resort will be the single largest property development in Singapore, with an estimated development cost of S$2.8 to S$3.4 billion. It will likely to include the largest hotel, the largest shopping mall, and the largest concentration of food and beverage outlets and non-gaming entertainment. It is expected to take 9 months to complete the bidding, review process and awarding an integrated resort licence.  Singapore plans to build its first casino, reversing a four-decade ban, as it seeks new industries to replace manufacturers that are moving to lower-cost China and India.

Sands Casino plans Garden City theme Resort

The Sands Singapore integrated resort, if it happens, will have a Garden City theme, building on the city state´s reputation. The world famous Guggenheim art museum may also be part of the resort, to drive what Mr Weidner calls Singapore´s "cultural tourism".

Singapore as a mature market so the approach to our integrated resort in Singapore is how to energise Singapore, how to synergise Singapore. Sands Casino approach will be to target the 2 to 3 percent of the people who are more sophisticated, who will appreciate a visit to Singapore. According to Sands Casino, the casino resort will attract more people to Singapore and benefit other businesses, including hotels and taxi drivers.

Integrated Casino Resort next key landmark

With global players showing a keen interest in the proposed integrated resort in Singapore what is clear is that the investment will be huge. And market-watchers say that means the resort could well be the next key landmark in the city-state. It will Singapore the opportunity to have a business centre and a resort - a really city resort combination. Singapore can find a niche where you can be doing business in the daytime and within half an hour transform into a resort.

Once the government give the go-ahead for the project, architects say they hope to be part of the design team and contribute to what may well be the country´s next key landmark that will blend in with all the tall buildings in land-scarce Singapore.

US casino operator Harrah´s Entertainment revealed that it has hired Daniel Libeskind as the main architect. Australia´s Tabcorp has its trump card in Arata Isozaki, the architect best known for building the Museum of Contemporary Arts in Los Angeles.