SINGAPORE – Singapore is expected to open its first casino this weekend, although the operators of Resorts World on Sentosa are being coy about their plans.
Local taxi drivers may have been tipped off, however. From Friday, they have slapped a S$3 surcharge on fares leaving the resort island.
The opening of the Resorts World at Sentosa may be timed to coincide with the Year of the Tiger, the Lunar New Year holiday starting this weekend.
A spokesman for the resort declined to confirm the opening date, after the government granted Genting a licence to operate the casino earlier than an expected March or April start and ahead of Las Vegas Sands’ rival Singapore casino.
The Straits Times newspaper reported on Monday Genting has told staff and tenants that the casino and associated Universal Studios theme park at its Resorts World at Sentosa casino-resort will open this week.
In January, Resorts World opened four of its six hotels as well as some shops and food outlets. The Universal Studios theme park is also gearing up for an official opening.
In other news from the city-state, the number of visitors to Singapore last year reached 9.7 million, above forecasts but still a year-on-year decline of 4.3 percent.
Singapore started to see more visitors arriving from the second half of last year. For December, visitor arrivals to Singapore grew 9.4 percent year-on-year to reach 971,000, the highest monthly level ever recorded.
Indonesia led the top five markets in 2009, with 1,745,000 visitors to Singapore. The others included China (937,000), Australia (830,000) and Malaysia (764,000). These markets made up over half of total visitor arrivals to Singapore last year.
STB chief executive, Aw Kah Peng, said the opening of the integrated resorts, major events like F1, the Youth Olympic Games in August, and new initiatives like the Asian Fashion Exchange would boost 2010 numbers.
