Sentosa casino resort draws young job seekers

By Ruth Youngblood Dec 3, 2006, 9:45 GMT

Singapore - Visions of a volcano, glass sails or a theme park are tantalizing young adults viewing a job at Singapore's second casino resort as a jackpot within their grasps.

'I'm hoping the winning bidder offers training for prospective dealers,' said a 24-year-old hotel waitress intrigued by the suspense at gaming establishments elsewhere, compared to her current 'boring' position.

With a judging panel of seven ministers expected to announce on December 8 which of three rivals will build one of the world's most costly casino projects, experts predict the prize to go to Malaysia's Genting International, partnered with Universal Studios and Star Cruises.

Genting, with a 3.2-billion-US-dollar offer, can leverage off Star Cruises and its mountain-top Genting Highlands resort, 'which together have the largest database in South-East Asia,' said Merrill Lynch gaming analyst Sean Monaghan.

It's recent acquisition of the UK's Stanley Leisure has brought another 45 casinos in Britain into its stable.

With the resort to be completed on the island of Sentosa in 2010 one year after the Marina Bay facility in Singapore's financial heart, veteran hotel employers, newcomers and many still in school have started preparing for the 30,000 jobs to be available at the two facilities.

Whether Genting is awarded the bid or it unexpectedly goes to the Bahamas-based Kerzner International linked with Singapore property developer CapitaLand or Eighth Wonder's consortium including Australia's Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd, those eager for employment are not picky about the winner.

Since the first casino was awarded to the Las Vegas Sands in May for its 3.6-billion-US-dollar triple tower and South-East Asia's largest convention centre to attract business travellers, Singapore Management University and a host of other institutions have started offering training courses for positions at every level.

'I'm determined to make myself as employable as possible,' said Serene Santhana, who has spent ten years in marketing at a five-star hotel.

Keen on returning to school to take a course in revenue management, the 37-year-old Santhana said she was delighted when Singapore lifted its longstanding ban on casino gambling last year as part of a plan to double visitor arrivals to the city-state to 17 million by 2015.

'The atmosphere will be stimulating and challenging,' said Santhana, echoing the sentiments of several of her co-workers.

Construction workers in the region, who form the bulk of the building force in Singapore, will be needed in droves. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said 40,000 additional labourers will be required to construct the massive resorts.

The government views the projects as a way to inject 'buzz' into the city-state better known for its strict rules, public campaigns and other forms of social engineering.

The rivalry for the family-oriented Sentosa has been fierce but entertaining with a staggering media blitz by Eighth Wonder despite its lack of a gaming track record.

Against a volcanic background, the 3.5-billion-US-dollar bid includes bringing Brazilian football legend Pele to Singapore two or three times a year to oversee a soccer school at the resort, which would also feature a 5,000-seat stadium.

Plans also include an aquatic playground, 7,500-seat theatre and free nightly shows.

'Each of its 35 attractions is impressive - individually - but taken as a whole, the concept strikes one as rather schizophrenic,' said the newspaper Today.

Kerzner and CapitaLand are offering a 3.3 billion US dollar futuristic waterworld designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry. Features include 90-metre-tall glass-encased sales wired for image projections, a water theme park, the world's largest man-made coral reef, and a botanical garden, all mixing live and robotic plants and animals.

With tourism appeal the biggest consideration for the judges, Gentings' proposal includes a Universal Studios theme park, an oceanarium, a water amusement park, a maritime museum, plus six hotels with 1,800 rooms and shopping.

Hollywood director Steven Spielberg is involved in a proposed DreamWorks digital studio at Universal in Singapore and the theme park components. He will also help design the rides at the proposed park.

'Universal's parks are about more than just riding the movies,' he said in a statement. 'Because what we do so well at Universal is to put people inside incredible and timeless stories and make them superheros. These are the kinds of experience that create memories that can last a lifetime.'