Resorts World Sentosa will “be prepared” when Singapore’s Playing Regulatory Authority considers its on line casino license renewal in 2026, the corporate’s CEO Lee Shi Ruh informed CNBC late final month.
In November 2024, Singapore’s playing company introduced it was renewing the built-in resort’s on line casino license for 2 years, as an alternative of three, citing “unsatisfactory” tourism efficiency from 2021 to 2023.
The announcement got here after Resorts World Sentosa had pledged to speculate $6.8 billion Singapore {dollars} ($5.3 billion) to resume and broaden the built-in resort.
The truncated license renewal has not modified Resorts World Sentosa’s growth or funding plans, Lee stated.
The corporate opened two new sights in 2025, Minion Land on the Common Studios Singapore theme park, and the Singapore Oceanarium, which changed the built-in resort’s older S.E.A. Aquarium.
“This yr is known as a game-changing yr for us,” she stated. “Over the following few years… to 2030, we shall be persevering with to launch new sights.”
In saying the two-year license renewal, the Playing Regulatory Authority thought of Resorts World Sentosa’s capacity to “develop, keep and promote” itself as a compelling vacationer vacation spot.
When requested which of those areas the resort is concentrated on, Lee stated: “The massive push for us is absolutely remodeling Resorts World Sentosa right into a premium way of life vacation spot.”
Tapping into ‘experiences’
Procuring, as soon as a high precedence for vacationers in Asia, isn’t a precedence within the resort’s transformation, stated Lee.
“Our focus is absolutely into experiences,” Lee stated.
The choice to exchange a “Madagascar” movie-themed space of Common Studios Singapore with Minion Land was, partly, associated to the common enchantment of the characters within the “Despicable Me” franchise, she added.
“Minions stood out as a result of … this yellow character could be very resonate to all ages of holiday makers, and all around the globe due to the language that they use. It resonates from Asia to Europe to America and in all places else. So to us, there is a widespread language we will use,” she stated.
Minions converse their very own language, referred to as Minionese, which includes parts of English, Spanish, Italian, Chinese language and Tagalog, amongst others, based on the “Despicable Me” fandom web site.
Resorts World Sentosa can be planning to open new inns, together with The Laurus, a luxurious resort designed like a “collector’s dwelling” in Singapore, that’s set to open later in 2025, Lee stated.
In coming years, the built-in resort is planning to launch Tremendous Nintendo World inside Common Studios Singapore, in addition to an elevated waterfront way of life complicated with a 700-room resort, mountain climbing trails and a 289-foot gentle sculpture, she stated.
“The waterfront way of life complicated is absolutely going to boost the enchantment of the Larger Southern Waterfront,” she stated. The complicated is a “brownfield challenge,” which shall be seen from mainland Singapore.
Lee declined to touch upon whether or not the deliberate way of life complicated could have gaming services.
—CNBC’s Kaela Ling contributed to this report.
