It is surprising how little people know about Singapore, its people and their culture.

Before the Singapore government’s announcement of its intention to license two integrated resorts with significant casino gaming components, few casino executives took notice of this small garden city in Southeast Asia. Yet this lack of understanding of Singapore can hamper the success of any casino operation there.

As a Chinese Singaporean I have decided to write this to give you a better understanding of the market.

Let us first reveal some basic statistics:

In 2007, more than 10 million people visited Singapore. The top five visitors’ markets were Indonesia, China, Australia, India and Malaysia. These markets accounted for 51 percent of total visitor arrivals in 2007. As Singapore is a small island city, most visitors (about 70 percent) arrived by air. On average, they stayed for about 3.6 days. In 2007, 64 percent of visitors were between 25 and 54 years old (46 percent were between 25 and 44). In comparison, Macau welcomed around 27 million visitors over the same period. More than 90 percent of those visitors came from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. On average, they stayed for slightly a day. Comparatively, Singapore receives a more diversified group of visitors each year. They stay longer and have strong spending power.

With a land area of 707 square kilometers Singapore is 24 times bigger than Macau and has almost nine times more people living in it. There are also marked differences in the quality of residents living in these two cities: Singaporeans on average are better educated (the literacy rate is 95.7 percent) and highly skilled. They are also a technologically savvy group of people. In terms of infrastructure, Singapore has excellent world-class facilities in education, health and transport. Good quality hotels and restaurants are plentiful and the quality of service is high even by Western standards. Unlike Macau, where Portuguese and Cantonese are the official languages, English is the official language of business, education and administration in Singapore. About 75 percent of the population is Chinese, 13.7 percent Malays, 8.7 percent Indians and 2.6 percent others. Most Singaporeans can speak English and many do so very well. Take me for an example, as a Singaporean, English is my first language and Chinese is my second (although it is my native language). Many Singaporeans are in fact multilingual. Once out of schools and offices, Mandarin and other Chinese dialects, including Hokkien, Teochew and Cantonese, are widely used.

Although casino gaming was illegal prior to the announcement of the bidding for the two integrated resorts, other forms of gaming do exist. Lottery betting was legalized in 1968 and is managed by Singapore Pools. Games offered include Toto, 4D, Singapore Sweep and Scratchit. Singaporeans are high risk-takers and avid gamblers on the lottery, especially Toto and 4D. Research shows that among all countries Singapore has one of the highest gross lottery turnovers per capita. Long queues outside Singapore Pools outlets can be seen every Saturday and Sunday. Singapore Pools also offers betting on international soccer games and motor races. Horserace betting is legal and is managed by the Singapore Turf Club, which has a proud history dating back to 1842. At some private clubs old slot machines can be found to provide some gaming entertainment.

At the Singapore Cruise Centre is a modern cruise terminal which among other carriers houses Star Cruises, the third-largest cruise ship operator in the world. Singapore Cruise Centre handles around 9 million passengers every year. Many Singaporean passengers set foot on these cruises to wager in their on-board casinos, which open after the ships leave Singapore for international waters. For those who cannot afford a weekend cruise to nowhere, a cheap bus trip to Genting Highlands in Malaysia is always a good alternative. It is fun at the Highlands, with facilities that amuse the kids and adults alike. The casino in Genting Highlands welcomes loads of Singaporeans over weekends and holidays each year.

Right across from the Singapore Cruise Centre is the tourist island of Sentosa, where Genting Group is currently building their IR (named Resorts World at Sentosa).The soon-to-be-built Marina Bay Sands is situated near the Central Business District. The great financial district of Singapore, where bankers are currently still suffering from their financial woes, may never be the same again. But the easy accessibility of Marina Bay Sands to business travelers, bankers and many white-collar executives working (and living) in the city will certainly help to enhance businesses there. From the airport to the city center a visitor typically would travel by car or bus over the famous Benjamin Sheares Bridge. Beginning later this year, visitors will be treated to a spectacular view of Marina Bay Sands from the bridge even before they set foot in the city center.

As mentioned, around 75 percent of Singaporeans are Chinese. Many do speak good English and Mandarin. The influence of Hokkien on the way Singaporeans speak is obvious, and the expressions can be humorous. Like Chinese in China and Macau, the influence of Confucianism is strong and evidenced in daily Singaporean lives. There is a strong emphasis on one’s social/hierarchical position and on family values and education. Research shows that when compared to the West, Singaporeans are collectivistic and have what is known as “high power distance” and simultaneously are low on the scale of “uncertainty avoidance”. Collectivism is the opposite of individualism. In a collectivistic culture, group goals are given priority over personal ones. In a high power distance culture, members accept and expect that power in the society will be unequally distributed. In addition to Confucianism, the influence of Taoism and Buddhism also can be found. In fact, more Singaporeans identify themselves as Buddhists than any other religion.

Chinese superstitions proliferate among Chinese Singaporeans. Some Chinese gambling superstitions found in China and Macau are also evidenced in Singapore. For example, the color red and number 8 are auspicious while the colors black and white and the number 4 are not. Like their counterparts in China, many Singaporeans also believe in feng shui. Feng shui is helpful in numerous ways. For example, it is used to determine the day and time of moving into a new home and how furniture in the apartment should be placed in order to maximize wealth. Because of the influence of Malay, Indian and Thai cultures, and the media, there are also certain superstitions and myths that are unique to Singaporeans.

I believe all this information has implications for casinos and service management in Singapore. They are basic facts that should be explored further for those who intend to venture into Singapore’s gaming industry. My intention is to help you better understand Singapore, its people and their culture. Certainly these are important to foreign casino executives who will be taking up new job positions at Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World at Sentosa. 

Good luck!