Las Vegas Sands Set to Expand Casino Operations in Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands Resort

27

Las Vegas Sands, a familiar name in the hospitality and gaming industry, could potentially be taking its operations up a notch in Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands. The company has revealed plans of swelling the casino area in its integrated resort, a move aimed at expanding the establishment’s reach.

Despite earlier revelations indicating that no casino space would be added with the construction of the venue’s fourth tower, now words on the street hint towards expansion of the casino area inside the current Marina Bay Sands premises. It’s a significant development as Marina Bay Sands shines as a star among the two integrated resorts in Singapore, the other one being Genting’s Resorts World Sentosa.


In a recent investor conference, Rob Goldstein, Sands CEO spilled out some details about the eagerly anticipated project. Although the new chapter in Singapore would include a smaller number of rooms compared to Marina Bay Sands, it would still house a gaming area and space for live entertainment. The casino-slash-resort, being the most valuable of its kind across the globe, will continue catering to its high-profile clientele with its usual flair.

What’s interesting is that in an environment that is known to keep its gaming landscape tight under the Sands/Genting duopoly, Singapore seems to be easing its grip, albeit conservatively. The primary goal here is to draw in more well-to-do, non-mass-market tourists with an emphasis on entertainment therein, featuring top acts from the US and Asia.

From a strategic point of view, Sands’ decision to add one more feather to its cap in Marina Bay Sands and seize further expansion openings in Singapore comes off as smart. After all, the company’s operation in Singapore is its only venture outside of Macau. Made up of one of Asia-Pacific’s finest gaming scenes, Marina Bay Sands requires enhancements to keep up with the competition.

Sands’ master plan indicates a ground-breaking move on the expansion next year with the intention of wrapping it all up by 2029. At the investor conference, Goldstein threw light on Singapore’s gross gaming revenue possibly hitting $7 billion this year and soaring to reach $10 billion in the upcoming years.

As a pivotal element of Singapore’s business and leisure travel industries, Marina Bay Sands bodes well for Sands’ position in the city. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, the city was a world leader coming in the ninth rank in tourism spending in 2022.

Meanwhile, the gaming landscape paints a clear picture. While Macau outshines all other markets, Singapore has been making significant strides. Driven by just two major players, Singapore has become an essential gaming market. Looking at the anticipated joint grossing of $10 billion by MBS and Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore could soon become the world’s third-largest casino market, after Macau and Nevada.