http://www.sgbetforum.com/showthread.php?t=134

I have uploaded the above article to my website which compare visitors growth between Macau and Hong Kong.

The trend indicates that Macau will surpass Hong Kong in terms of tourist arrival this year. It is attributed to the attraction of the boom in casinos in Macau over Hong Kong's theme parks, notably Disneyland. In 2006, while Hong Kong saw a 7.5% rise in tourist arrival to the island, Macau register a 14.6% increase, and the gap is set to widen this year as in Jan 07, Hong Kong saw a contraction of -1%, while Macau has a strong 22.7% growth. Hong Kong's strategy of offering attractive theme parks doesn't seems to work as well as Macau's single draw on casino gambling.

How about Singapore? Due to political correctness, the government is doing everything to downplay the casino aspect of the two IRs, and limit the proportion of space that can be allocated to it. However it would mean that the commercial value of these two IRs are not fully maximised, and I am afraid that future projects may not draw as much interest as these two from the big players. By all means, the two IRs will be great in the first two years due to initial attraction from curiosity, but after that, it may be hard to produce any sterling result if the casino aspect of the business are not allowed to be fully capitalized on. If Hong Kong can become second best even with Disneyland themepark, I wonder how attractive can our two theme parks be, even with Universal Studio thrown in.

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Graduates of Singapore casino school ready to deal, spin and take bets

SINGAPORE (AP) - Her fingers moved nimbly, swiftly gathering the scattered casino chips from the green roulette table into her cupped palm in stacks of 20. Toh Xue Ling's record for "chipping,'' or restacking 100 chips into neat piles, is 24 seconds.

But the 18-year-old who just graduated from Singapore's first casino dealer training course is more proud of her ability to calculate pay-outs at the roulette wheel, where the winnings depend on the placement of a chip and require quick-thinking math skills.

"I feel confident about finding a casino job. I've mastered the skills and I'm ready,'' Toh said.

Toh and 37 classmates - dressed smartly in dealer uniforms of black trousers, white shirts, black vests and armbands - graduated Wednesday night in a ceremony marked by laughter, champagne and demonstrations of newly acquired dealing know-how.

They are the first class to complete the six-month Certificate in Dealing Casino Games at the International Club Games Training Center, a 20,000-square foot (1,858-square meter) space styled after a real casino and filled with dozens of baccarat, roulette and blackjack tables.
It is an unusual scene in Singapore, which legalized casino gambling in 2005 but is waiting for the construction of two casino resorts - slated for 2009 and 2010 - before the games begin.

Even then, Singaporeans may be dissuaded from testing their luck by proposed regulations requiring casino operators to collect a levy of 100 Singapore dollars (US$60; euro50) a day or S$2,000 (US$1,180; euro990) a year from locals visiting the casino.

The new gambling reality has sparked the interest and curiosity of many in Singapore, who hope to take advantage of the job opportunities and tourism boom that the casino resorts are certain to bring.

Training center CEO Ramachandar Siva said Singaporeans are in a perfect spot - educationally and regionally - to gain from the casino boom.
"The standards are high in Singapore education, and among Singaporeans,'' he said. "So that pushes us to set a high standard, and we can then offer quality, professional croupiers to casino clients. That's our main objective.''
He opened the center in November 2005 in response to Singapore's legalization of casino gambling and also to fill the high demand for croupiers on cruise ships and in the Asian gambling hub of Macau, where he said an employment crunch has led to rushed courses that graduate "half-baked'' dealers.

Besides learning the ins-and-outs of the games, the students are schooled in theoretical situations such as how to spot a cheat and how to remain calm with aggressive customers.

"The pressure is higher in Asian casinos than American ones,'' Siva said. "The typical Asian gambler is more gung-ho, more hard-core, places higher bets in more volume.''

The students are hoping all this work will pay off.

Joel Koh Yang Pang, 26, was self-assured as he stood at one roulette table, moving chips around the number board to demonstrate the patterns he had memorized for quick calculations.

"We are better prepared than many others already working in casinos,'' he said, explaining that he often stayed for hours after the five-hour daily course to practice what he had learned. "We're trained well, we have hands-on experience, we know about gaming security, we know so much.''
Many Singaporeans have only gambled at horse races and other sporting events, or on slot machines at some gaming parlors.
Koh was ready to change this.

"I want some experience overseas, and then I hope to come back to Singapore and work at one of the integrated resorts at a higher level,'' Koh said. "I have the knowledge, and soon there will be opportunities in Singapore.''-AP[/b]

I refer to the report in ST today on youth gambling.

I am puzzle that the study was done in 2004, but is just being highlighted now.

IMHO, all these activities plan to create awareness about the ills of gambling is a double-edge sword. As we know very well, youths are always tempted even more by the forbidden fruits, and all the well-intended activities for the youths may instead enticed them into it. Furthermore, with the 2 casinos coming up, there will be more buzz added to the gambling scene, which will even be more enticing for the younger adults.

Cheers
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www.sgbetforum.com

Those who are interested in a career with the casino can check out these specialist certification and diploma courses offered by ICG Training and Nanyang Institute of Management:-

http://www.sgbetforum.com/showthread.php?t=41

Lesson For Singapore On Casino Gambling

"It is the world record of which Australia is least proud: More than 80% of its adult population gambles, the highest rate on the planet."

http://www.sgbetforum.com/showthread.php?p=239#post239

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Non-Stop Gambling From Dusk To Dawn

The Sunday Times
28 Jan 2007

The buffet is free but the Singaporeans on board the casino ship are not interested in the food.

Instead, when they are there they often eat at the gaming tables to save time. Many stay overnight, too, especially during the weekends.

When The Sunday Times went on board Leisure World - one of the most popular casino ships among Singaporean gamblers - on Wednesday at about 9.45pm, the assorted party of grannies, housewives, middle-aged men and couples in their 30s wasted no time changing their cash and hitting the tables.

After all, it had taken them two ferries and 1 1/2 hours to get to the ship.

They park themselves at a table - baccarat, roulette or blackjack - and remain glued to their seats for hours, with at least $300 worth of chips in front of them.

When they are hungry, they would signal to runners standing around the tables to "ta bao" (pack) food or get a cup of noodle for them.

To save the money on booking a room, some choose to catch a little shut-eye by lying on lounge chairs or sitting on the stairs. Most, however, gamble through the night.

When The Sunday Times left the ship in the morning for the 6.15am ferry, three elderly women in their 50s and 60s were still rooted to the same seats at the same roulette tabel where they had been playing all night.

To these gamblers, the ships are the closest they can get to legitimate casino gambling.

"Genting is too far away," said a Leisure World regular, who gave his name only as Mr Tan.

"It costs more too because I have to stay there for a few days to make it worthwhile."

The 39-year-old who is in the seafood business, used to frequent the ship during weekends. Now that the promotional ferry rate is on offer, he goes on weekdays as well.

He said: "I go to the ship in the evening, play overnight, then take the first 6.15am ferry back to Singapore and head straight to work."

Will the opening of the integrated resorts (IRs) put a dent in the casino ship business?

Most of the 15 casino shipgoers The Sunday Times spoke to did not express much interest in the IRs. However, three were adamant they would not enter the casino there.

A newcomer to the ship, who wanted to be known only as Mr Li, said: "It's like I have lost $100 (the entry fee for local people) even before I start playing. Of course I won't go."

He went to Leisure World only after he learnt of the $12 promotional ferry rate from a friend, he said.

But one Leisure World veteran, a 55-year-old retiree who gave his name as Mr Mar, said: "I'll go try my luck when it opens. If I win, I don't mind going again. If not, I'll come back here."

Paying Gamblers To Go On Board Cruise Ship Casino
The Sunday Times
28 Jan 2007

It's Free and Easy For Ship Gamblers

But social wokers fear that the elderly may be sucked deeper into gambling trap by ships' tactics.

It is 7.45pm on a Wednesday evening. A mixed crowd made up of couples in their 30s, retirees, housewives and grannies turn up in taxis at an otherwise deserted Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, just in time to hop into the last ferry to Batam.

Their destination is Leisure World, a casino ship anchored in international waters off the coast of Batam, where they will forgo sleep for the chance to win a fortune at the jackpot machines and gaming tables.

There, they gamble right through to the next morning, when they take the first ferry back home at 6.15am.

In a bid to lure more gamblers to the ship last November, its operator, New Century Cruise Lines, lowered the fare of the last ferry ride on off-peak days (Sunday to Thursday) from $42 to $12.

Depending on how much money punters change on the ship, they can even get a rebate of up to $40 worth of chips to help subsidise the cost of the ferry ticket. Buffet meals are also provided free of charge.

Two other casino ships, Lucky Star and Omar III, which offer day/night cruises, are offering similar incentives.

In fact, the rebate can sometimes exceed the cost of the ferry tickets, which means the casinos are effectively paying the gamblers to gamble.

Lawyer Amolat Singh said: "Paying people to go on board is basically a sales tactic, like shopping centres giving out money vouchers to shoppers. Legally, there's nothing wrong."

But social workers The Sunday Times spoke to were concerned about these marketing tactics.

"It is very dangerous," said Mr Jonathan Siew, a senior counsellor at the Care Corner Counselling Centre. "The elderly gamblers are the least likely to get help, especially since their children are usually there to give them more money to feed their addiction."

They are also highly susceptible to falling for such cheap deals and are easily sucked deeper into the gambling trap, he added.

In the 2005 Gambling Prevalence Survey conducted by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS), 58 per cent of all Singaporeans said they have participated in at least one form of gambling activity in the past 12 months.

Only between 2 and 4 per cent of people surveyed had played jackpot machines or table games in cruises or casinos overseas, making them among the least popular activities.

About 2.1 per cent of those surveyed were probably problem gamblers.

Even though the proportion of such gamblers is small, the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) wants to make sure the figure does not grow.

Said NCPG chairman Lim Hock San: "Our Responsible Gambling Sub-committee is actively engaging gambling operators to implement responsible gambling practices. Thus far, we have met with Singapore Pools, Singapore Turf Club and several private clubs with jackpot rooms. Cruise ship and IR operators are next in line."

Measures will include displaying counselling helpline numbers and other information on problem gambling on their premises and training employees to identify and refer gambling addicts to counselling centres.

"Ultimately, public education on the harmful effects of problem gambling is key to empowering people to act responsibly," said Mr Lim.

The NCPG has set up two pilot counselling centres for problem gambling.

Those who need help can visit the centres or call the helplines: Thye Hua Kwan Moral Society (1800-X-GAMBLE) and Care Corner Counselling Centre (1800-6-668-66

People may also visit the National Council on Problem Gambling website at www.ncpg.org.sg for more information.

Employment Opportunites in IR Casinoes? Saw this ad in the TODAY newspaper. Anyone going?

Originally posted by Lowclassman:

Precisely, RIET!!!

Using public $$$..........to fund the projects. That's why we are seeing so many craps warrants in SGX now.

I'm worry that the balloon will brust in not time.

Too much is at stake for the two IRs to fail. For their own sake, the govt will do whatever it can to make the projects a success. For one, the casino floor area limits will definitely be reviewed, and two, the entry fee of $100 for locals could be reduced or waived. If both fails, then there is a Temasek to takeover the business.

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The development cost 5.2 billion Singapore dollar (US$3.38 billion; euro2.54 billion) casino-resort on Singapore's Sentosa Island will be one-third funded by equity, and two-third funded by loans.

This is using other people's money to make money.



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Originally posted by FireIce:

no need scared
money still roll back to msia

Think investment more than $5 billion..money come in first and income may not flow back to msia becos of lower tax and strong S$.

Lots of people were expecting 8th Wonder to clinch the bid. Now that Genting has won, will it affect Genting Highland's business? Think Genting share in Malaysia will drop like a bomb on Monday.