The government sold the casino idea to the nation on 2 premises:
1. To create jobs for Singaporeans
2. To bring in oversea punters/tourists
However, neither has happened as we now witnessed:
1. Most jobs goes to foreigners with only a token numbers of singaporeans hired (The two casinos dare not reveal the number of singaporeans employed vs PRs vs EP holders)
2. Instead of enticing more oversea punters to our shore, the majority of punters are locals, as efforts to lure oversea punters are lacking.
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_523208.html
May 6, 2010
Casino punters mostly locals
Profile of gamblers suggests both IRs must work harder to draw foreigners
By Lim Wei Chean
(Analysts say that until the high-rollers from abroad start arriving in droves, the casinos at Resort World Sentosa and Marina Bay Sands may end up cannibalising each other's pool of local, small-stake patrons)
WITH Singapore's first casinos in the two integrated resorts (IRs) now open, industry analysts and number crunchers will have plenty of fodder to chew on.
While they say it is too early to predict how well the casinos will do, they seem certain about one thing - that, going by the numbers, both Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) and Marina Bay Sands (MBS) need to work harder to court foreign punters.
The surprisingly high number of Singaporean and permanent-resident (PR) punters has been noticed. A recent report by Bank of America-Merrill Lynch noted that they make up 50 per cent to 60 per cent of RWS' casino patrons. Of this lot, nine in 10 pay the $100 levy for a 24-hour turn at the tables, with one in 10 forking out the $2,000 annual fee.
1. To create jobs for Singaporeans
2. To bring in oversea punters/tourists
However, neither has happened as we now witnessed:
1. Most jobs goes to foreigners with only a token numbers of singaporeans hired (The two casinos dare not reveal the number of singaporeans employed vs PRs vs EP holders)
2. Instead of enticing more oversea punters to our shore, the majority of punters are locals, as efforts to lure oversea punters are lacking.
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_523208.html
May 6, 2010
Casino punters mostly locals
Profile of gamblers suggests both IRs must work harder to draw foreigners
By Lim Wei Chean
(Analysts say that until the high-rollers from abroad start arriving in droves, the casinos at Resort World Sentosa and Marina Bay Sands may end up cannibalising each other's pool of local, small-stake patrons)
WITH Singapore's first casinos in the two integrated resorts (IRs) now open, industry analysts and number crunchers will have plenty of fodder to chew on.
While they say it is too early to predict how well the casinos will do, they seem certain about one thing - that, going by the numbers, both Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) and Marina Bay Sands (MBS) need to work harder to court foreign punters.
The surprisingly high number of Singaporean and permanent-resident (PR) punters has been noticed. A recent report by Bank of America-Merrill Lynch noted that they make up 50 per cent to 60 per cent of RWS' casino patrons. Of this lot, nine in 10 pay the $100 levy for a 24-hour turn at the tables, with one in 10 forking out the $2,000 annual fee.
