Inside Asian Gaming

IAG JAPAN MAR 2020 78 MC: What can other jurisdictions learn fromMBS and Singapore’s IR experience? GT: Singapore can serve as a case study or a benchmark. The fact that the introduction of casinos can lead to a decline in the rate of problem gambling is a very, very important lesson that can be learned. Other governments can look at how the regulatory structure has been established here, what changes have been made over time, how Singapore, when they implement a new measure, defines it in a very targeted way to make sure it specifically addresses any perceived problem. And other markets can gain comfort in knowing that there’s a way to do this right so that it can have a positive impact. Another lesson that we’ve learned from the Marina Bay Sands experience is that great architecture can serve as a tourism draw in and of itself. With the advent of the smartphone and the popularity of the selfie, something like our SkyPark and the infinity edge pool has really been a strong attraction. We’ve FEATURES been identified as the most Instagrammed hotel in the world, and people really just haven’t lost interest in coming and exploring the different, unique architectural elements of Marina Bay Sands. That’s really the first time in our industry that architectural design was emphasized to this extent, and the reaction has been very, very positive. Then maybe one last lesson that can be learned is that the integrated resort format is really a tremendous vehicle to promote corporate social responsibility and to stage events that can support charities. We established our primary corporate social responsibility activity called Sands for Singapore. It started in 2013, and it’s raised some SG$27 million [US$20 million] since that point. Its genesis stemmed from our recognition that we had two things that others who staged charitable activities don’t have: an employee base of 10,000 people, approximately, at a building that has so many different spaces and venues where you can