What currently stands as one of the world’s most expensive non-gaming leisure developments opened in Singapore yesterday.
Malaysia’s Genting and its partners spent four years and US$4.4 billion planning and developing Resorts World Sentosa, but that clearly wasn’t enough time and enough effort for the Singapore government to issue the resort’s gaming licence in time for the site’s first phase opening.
There’s a saying ‘start as you mean to go on’. It looks as though the Singapore authorities are sending a clear message to the casino industry, the players, any organised crime syndicates surveying the scene and the world in general that they, the government, are in charge of the process and intend to keep things that way.
It may also be a political message to placate domestic opponents of casino gaming.
The net effect is that Resorts World Sentosa has opened without its much vaunted casino as well as its still to be completed Universal Studios theme park.
Company executives cut a ribbon to inaugurate the hotels at the Resorts World Sentosa complex at 8:18 am local time (0018 GMT), an auspicious time whose Cantonese pronunciation sounds like “to prosper” in the language.
Festive Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel Singapore, Crockfords Tower and Hotel Michael together offer 1,350 rooms and 10 restaurants.
They are located on the hilly islet of Sentosa, linked by a causeway to the southern tip of Singapore.
Genting Group chairman Lim Kok Thay said his company was still working with Singapore authorities on finalising the casino licence and gave no date for the start of gambling operations.
“As far as the casino licence is concerned, we are still working closely with the authorities through their checks and inspections,” Lim told reporters after the opening ceremonies for the hotels.
“So in other words, we are still going through the motions. We are waiting for the gaming licence to be issued.”
Mr Lim added that a decision by Universal Studios to build yet another theme park in Asia in South Korea (to complement the existing Universal Studios Japan and Universal Studios Singapore) was unlikely negatively to affect the US film giant’s attraction in Singapore, which is part of the Sentosa casino complex.
Universal Studios on Tuesday signed a deal with South Korean partners to build its largest theme park in Asia at a cost of around three trillion won (US$2.67 billion).
“It’s good for the industry overall,” Mr Lim said. “So if you visit Korea, you would get curious about the park here in Singapore.”
A marine life park, a maritime museum, a spa and two more hotels will also be launched at Resorts World Sentosa after 2010.
Marina Bay Sands, another Singapore casino resort, is scheduled to open in April following construction delays. It is being built by US-based Las Vegas Sands Corp.
Singapore gave the go ahead for casino gambling in 2005, setting off a flurry of construction which went ahead despite last year’s recession.
The government hopes the casinos will boost the country’s tourism appeal and draw more visitors to the small island-republic, which relies mainly on man-made attractions to entice tourists.
The number of tourists visiting Singapore rose in November after slumping during the recession, but overall 2009 arrivals are expected to have fallen to 9.5 million from 10.1 million in 2008.
