Second Casino resort opens in Singapore

Las Vega Sands has eventually opened the long awaited Marina Bay Sands casino resort in downtown Singapore. The resort which is far from complete is the second casino resort to open in Singapore, the first was Resorts World Sentosa which opened in February, and it is hoped that they can steal some customers from the Chinese gambling centre of Macau. When completed the casino resort will have around 2500 hotel rooms, restaurants, exhibition centre, a shopping mall, theatres and a museum but less than 100 of the rooms are currently available. The project which will cost around $5.5 billion has been subject to cost over runs and delays and is was originally scheduled to open in December last year. Singapore only passed legislation to allow casinos in 2005 and this latest development puts it firmly on the map in the Asian gambling world. It is unlikely that it will put Macau out of business but it will certainly attract some of the Chinese high rollers who often ager thousands of dollars in a single bet. Singapore now has two massive casino resorts but whereas Resorts World Sentosa is targeting a family audience with a theme park, Marina Bay is targeting the corporate world with its convention centre. It may well however affect neighbouring  Malaysia where Genting (the owner of RWS) operates the only casino, especially as Marina Bay is organising bus trips from Malaysia into Singapore. It will be interesting to see how the Asian gambling market now develops.