SINGAPORE: Genting Singapore plc, a unit of Genting Bhd, said it will start the phased opening of its casino-resort, Resorts World Sentosa, on Jan 20 with four hotels ready to receive guests.

However, it did not state whether the casino, which is the highlight of the US$4.4 billion (RM14.87 billion) casino-resort project, will be opened on the same day as the hotels.
It is worth noting that Genting Singapore has yet to obtain the casino licence from the Singapore authorities.

According to a Reuters report yesterday, the company declined to give estimates for the opening date for the casino and said that it will announced the date only when it receives the licence.

The news report further stated that a spokeswoman for Singapore’s Casino Regulatory Authority had said Genting made an initial submission for a casino licence in October 2009, and the completed application package was received in December. It was also noted that such applications typically took more than three months to process.

In a brief statement yesterday, Genting Singapore said it will soft open, among others, the Universal Studios theme park, four hotels, the Festive Grand theatre and its luxurious casino in the casino-resort in “early 2010”.

It didn’t specify the exact opening dates of the other parts other than the four hotels on Jan 20, which it said coincides nicely with the festive period in time to catch the Chinese New Year crowd.

Singapore legalised casino gambling in 2005 and the authorities had allowed two casino-resorts to be built as part of an ambitious plan to double visitor arrivals to 17 million by 2015.
Apart from Resorts World, Singapore’s other casino-resort is Las Vegas Sands’ US$5.5 billion Marina Bay Sands, which would begin its phased opening in April.

Additionally, Resorts World Sentosa said it was working closely with the authorities to obtain approvals for Universal Studios Singapore, which will be the next attraction to be opened to the public. It was reported that testing and commissioning of the various rides at the theme park had started in early November.

Resorts World Sentosa will open the world’s largest Marine Life Park, its Maritime Xperiential Museum, a destination spa and two remaining hotels with a total of 500 rooms in phase two, said the statement.