Marina Bay Sands (MBS), Singapore’s renowned casino and hotel resort, is embarking on a significant expansion of its downtown property, with plans to construct a fourth tower by 2029. After being hindered by the COVID-19 pandemic, MBS announced on Friday that full-scale construction will commence by July 2025, aiming for completion by July 2029.

The Venue Remains Integral to Singapore’s Tourism

The ambitious expansion project first revealed in 2019 with a budget of 4.5 billion Singapore dollars ($3.33 billion), faced substantial delays due to pandemic-induced shutdowns. However, with ongoing support from the Singapore government, MBS is moving forward with its visionary plans to enhance the city-state’s leisure and business tourism appeal.

Patrick Dumont, president and chief operating officer of MBS’s parent company, Las Vegas Sands, emphasized the significance of the expansion in driving high-value tourism growth to Singapore. He highlighted that the project would optimize the venue’s programming elements while aligning with Singapore’s strategic objectives. The expansion aims to play a pivotal role in attracting more travelers to Singapore.

With the ongoing support of the Singapore government, this development will further enhance the leisure and business tourism appeal of Singapore.

Patrick Dumont, Las Vegas Sands president and chief operating officer

Since its inception at a development cost of $5.6 billion, MBS has welcomed over 470 million visitors, significantly contributing to Singapore’s business tourism appeal by hosting over 1,750 MICE events. The venue aims to remain at the cutting edge, regularly introducing new improvements and keeping its offerings fresh and exciting.

Existing Amenities Will Also Receive Improvements

The planned expansion features a luxury hotel tower with an impressive sky roof and a 15,000-seat entertainment arena. Additionally, it will create space for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) while introducing new dining, beverage, and nightlife options. Separate from the hotel expansion, MBS is investing $1.75 billion in its existing property, enhancing existing amenities.

The expansion aims to play a pivotal role in attracting more travelers to Singapore. The new entertainment arena should draw top entertainers who previously may have overlooked Southeast Asia in their tours. Additional MICE space will facilitate hosting more events in the city-state, capitalizing on Macau’s increasing focus on mainland China.

With international visitor arrivals reaching 71% of pre-pandemic levels in 2023 and tourism profits reaching up to $19.2 billion, Singapore’s hospitality sector is well on its path to a full recovery. The Singapore Tourism Board anticipates further improvement this year, driven by the gradual restoration of global air travel capacity and the increasing interest in South Asia as a leisure destination.

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Virginia State Senator Dave Marsden has reintroduced a bill that could pave the way for the construction of a resort-style casino, reminiscent of MGM National Harbor. 

Sen. Marsden’s Revised Casino Bill Targets Tysons Location

Sen. Marsden’s earlier attempt to introduce a similar bill faced setbacks, prompting a strategic revision to address concerns from residents, particularly in Reston. The new proposal is stringent about the casino’s placement, limiting it to Tysons and excluding Reston from consideration, reported NBC Washington.

The bill specifies that the eligible location for the casino must be within one-quarter of a mile of an existing station on the Metro Silver Line, part of a coordinated mixed-use project development, outside the Dulles airport flight path, within two miles of a major shopping destination containing at least 1.5 million square feet of gross building area, and outside the Interstate 495 Beltway. Notably, the bill singles out a particular parcel in Tysons — the site of a defunct auto dealership on Route 7.

The legislative journey for this proposal involves several steps. First, the bill must navigate through both chambers of Virginia’s General Assembly and gain the signature of Gov. Glenn Youngkin. When asked about his stance on the matter, a spokesperson for Gov. Youngkin conveyed that he would review any legislation presented to him.

Should the bill receive approval, it would then proceed to the county level, where the county board would need to request a referendum. This referendum would allow Fairfax County voters to voice their opinion on whether they support the establishment of a casino. If the majority approves, the county would initiate a competitive bidding process for interested developers, who would subsequently seek a casino operator for the venture.

Uncertainties Surround Fairfax Casino Proposal Despite Economic Promise

Some proponents of the casino envision a comprehensive development that goes beyond mere gambling, including a convention center, hotels, restaurants, office space, and residences. This ambitious project aims to address the decline in commercial real estate tax revenue, a trend exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has left a void in funding for county resources.

State Senator and Democratic Majority Leader Scott Surovell stressed the importance of securing additional revenue sources to prevent homeowners from bearing the burden. He asserted that to maintain quality education, the responsibility of compensating for lost tax revenue would inevitably shift to homeowners, underscoring the county’s requirement for diversifying its revenue streams.

Despite the potential economic benefits and job creation outlined in a 2019 study by Virginia’s Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, there is considerable opposition from local governments and community associations in the Tysons region. The path to establishing a casino in Fairfax County remains uncertain, and the proposal’s fate hinges on legislative approval and the voice of the county’s voters.

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MGM Resorts International announced on Friday that Japan‘s central government has officially green-lit the Osaka prefecture’s bid to construct an integrated resort in partnership with the gambling and entertainment company. This will set in motion the company’s plans on opening the facility by 2029.

Japan decided in 2018 to launch into the burgeoning leisure tourism industry in Asia when Prime Minister Shinzo Abe decided to legalize commercial casinos. Ever since then, the government has been involved in a process of considering bids from two of its prefectures interested in hosting the first commercial casino in the country– Osaka and Nagasaki.

However, speculations on where Japan’s first IR will be located has ended now that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has officially certified the Area Development Plan submitted last year by Osaka Prefecture/City proposing a joint venture between MGM Resorts and ORIX. This plays right into former MGM CEO Jim Murren’s prediction in 2014 that Osaka will be the first to host an IR.

MGM plans to spend JPY1.08 trillion (US$8.1 billion) to construct and outfit the facility that will be built on 122 acres of Yumeshima island, the man-made island in Osaka prefecture. The facility will include a casino, hotels, convention space, retail shopping, and several other amenities and attractions.

Industry expertd project that the facility will generate about $4 billion a year while attracting nothing less than 20 million guests per year. This is largely attributed to how close Osaka is to Tokyo, Japan’s capital.

In a statement to the press concerning the news, MGM Resorts CEO & President Bill Hornbuckle expressed his excitement over the approval while looking forward to beginning the project in earnest. He said: “It is an honor to be selected by the Government of Japan to develop a tourism project of this scale. We couldn’t be more excited to get started on the development of one of Japan’s first Integrated Resorts in the great City of Osaka, and we look forward to working with our partner ORIX and Osaka Prefecture/City to realize this long-held goal.”

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Bucks County Courier Times reported that after more than a decade of planning, the Parx Casino Hotel project has received approval from Bensalem Township Council to build a luxury hotel on Street Road in Bensalem. Groundbreaking is scheduled for later this year, with construction expected to be complete in 2025.

Parx Casino Hotel to Feature 300 Rooms, Rooftop Restaurant, and Presidential Suites

The 13-story hotel will include 11 floors of guest space, with 300 regular-stay rooms. A new walkway will connect the new hotel with the existing casino. The hotel will feature a restaurant in the lobby and another on the rooftop, each with a 300-seat capacity. 

The restaurant will feature a show kitchen in which invited chefs will cook and lead special presentations. The rooftop floors will have a presidential suite and four other high-end suites, which will offer unobstructed views of the Philadelphia skyline. A coffee shop, spa, and fitness center will fill out the amenities.

The hotel will not feature branding and will carry the “Parx Casino Hotel” marquee. Each restaurant will be an in-house offering, with no branding. During a presentation before Bensalem Township Council, Parx Casino Chief Operating Officer John Dixon said that the 14,000-square-foot banquet hall will have a capacity of 800, making it suitable for weddings, business conferences, and small exhibits. The rooms can be subdivided, given event requirements.

Parx Casino Hotel to Attract Youth-based Groups and Family-friendly Organizations

John Dixon, the Chief Operating Officer of Parx Casino, mentioned that the size of the new Parx Casino Hotel will not allow it to compete with the Pennsylvania Convention Center in downtown Philadelphia for national conventions like the auto show or flower show. He added that the hotel would be ideal for local and regional meetings and gatherings but not suitable for large-scale events. 

Dixon also noted that the hotel would not be age-restricted like the casino, which would enable the operators to market it to youth-based groups and family-friendly organizations.

Parx Casino, which opened as Philadelphia Park on December 19, 2006, has been a regional draw for many years. Parx quickly found success, generating $55.46 million in revenues in January 2023, compared to $51.81 million in revenue earned in January 2022. 

It was the third-highest revenue-generating casino in Pennsylvania, where gaming is big business. In 2022, the 16 Pennsylvania casinos saw a combined $5.21 billion compared to $4.73 billion in 2021. Revenue from Parx Casino also funds Bensalem’s $300 Home Assistance Grant, which Bensalem Mayor Joe DiGirolamo said Bensalem homeowners will continue to receive in 2023. Parx also employs some 2,000 workers, making it a leading employer in Bucks County.

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The Al-Marjan island which will be hosting the upcoming casino resort which may not be the only property in the vicinity, as Wynn seeks to evoke a Las Vegas vibe to the future venture.

Wynn Resorts Confident in the Success of “Vegas Strip” in UAE

According to company filings, Wynn Resorts has already registered “Arabian Strip” and “Marjan Strip” as trademarks, meaning that the company is not only looking to establish a resort but ensure that it benefits from its first-mover advantage.

The terms are a clear allusion to the Las Vegas Strip, which is the term usually used to describe the place in Las Vegas where the casino resorts are located. They are actually not in the city itself.

Wynn Resorts is building its project across an artificial island and the company will be spending $2 billion to bring it to bear. Wynn is teaming up with RAK Hospitality Holding LLC, a local developer, which will see through the construction work of the upcoming venue.

Wynn CEO Craig Billings has already confirmed that the company is forging ahead with plans to introduce gambling in the United Arab Emirates, specifically across its casino resort. New renderings and plans will be revealed publicly over the coming months, Billings confirmed.

The project is expected to arrive in 2026, with the first sod expected to take place later in 2023, and the finished property to materialize itself by the end of 2026. The area will have a range of amenities, including dining venues, meeting spaces, event halls, accommodations and more.

Some Reason for Skepticism After All

While introducing a Vegas-style gambling in the UAE would have a transformative impact on the region’s reputation for opposing gambling, Wynn’s enthusiasm alone will not suffice. The decision would ultimately lie with the UAE and whether the country feels like greenlighting casino gambling on its territory.

Just because the company wishes to use the same term to describe its project, though, doesn’t mean it would be quite the same experience as well. The Las Vegas Strip presently plays host to more than 30 casinos whereas the Marjan Strip is only going to host Wynn’s casino for now.

Wynn though is determined to wow local and international audiences. The company has contracted the same architect studio behind the Palazzo Las Vegas, Venetian Macau, and the Atlantis Paradise Island, HKS Architects. Meanwhile, rivals Caesars and MGM Resorts are somewhat present in the region.

Caesars runs a luxury hotel in Dubai, and MGM Resorts International is building a tourism-focused property that has made no mentions of gambling just yet. The investment in Wynn’s property is solid, with the company expecting 20% ROI. More details will be forthcoming.

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