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Channelnews Asia, 13 Mar 04

Singapore eyes casino-resort complex

Singapore is planning to create an offshore luxury residential resort which might include a casino to attract high-rollers and rich property buyers, a minister said. Trade and Industry Minister George Yeo said Sentosa, a beach and golf islet linked by a causeway to mainland Singapore, would be connected by bridges or boat services to other islets in a 500-hectare (1,235-acre) development.

"We are keeping an open mind on what to have in this development, including the possibility of having a casino," the Business Times quoted Yeo as saying Friday during a parliamentary debate on the budget. "What we envisage is an international facility separate from Singapore but accessible to all Singaporeans, with more relaxed rules to attract international talent, visitors and investments," he added. It would be modelled after Atlantis on Paradise Island in the Bahamas.

The government has long opposed the opening of a casino on moral grounds, although horse racing and lotteries do brisk business here and Singaporeans are famous in countries like Malaysia and Australia for being avid punters. But globetrotting Singaporean casino players hoping to have domestic alternatives may be disappointed. Yeo said steps will be taken to limit access to the casinos by Singaporeans, and to keep organized crime out of the business.

Hobbled by lack of resources and a small and ageing population, Singapore is positioning itself as a cosmopolitan city with high-end services, lively entertainment choices and cutting-edge industries attracting money and talent from all over the world. - AFP

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