Floating Casino Lures Back Singaporeans Due To $100 Land Casino Fee
When the Singapore government announced the opening of two casinos in 2010, most Singaporeans got extremely excited as they would now have a place to past their time and play some of their favorite casino games. The casinos did extremely well during the first two years but after that the number of players visiting the casinos slowly dropped as Singaporeans were not too keen to pay the $100 casino entrance fee.
The Leisure World cruise ship recently ventured close to Singapore and caused a lot of interest as Singapore’s gamblers started flocking on a daily basis to play at the Lido Casino. The floating casino can seat close to 500 individuals and has around 200 jackpot machines and 40 tables offering a number of popular games such as poker, roulette and baccarat. Bets start at $2 enabling everyone to play and keep coming back for more entertainment. The casino is packed even on weekdays and there are a number of gamblers who have to wait till a seat is vacant at the table.
The ship usually sails in international waters near the Indonesian island of Batam and draws large crowds that mostly consist of Singaporeans and Malaysians. The floating casino used to be a big hit in the past but once Singapore open its two land based casinos, the floating casino lost a lot of its customers. Singaporeans are once again visiting the floating casino because they are not happy paying the $100 casino fee each time they visit.
In a statement, a representative for the floating casino said
Our business dropped drastically after the casinos opened. We had fewer than 500 passengers on some days. But as the (Singapore) casinos lost their novelty, the crowds started to come back in 2013.
The floating casino now gets between 600 – 700 passengers on a daily basis and even more people on weekends.
Singaporeans who want to visit the floating casino have to catch a ferry from the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal. There are 8 ferries operating every day from 8 am to 8.30 pm and there are extra trips on weekends. A round trip ticket costs around $43 and can also be used to avail a free buffet meal at the floating casino. The majority of gamblers visiting the floating casino are senior citizens and Leisure World has decided to give them a discounted weekday ticket for just $23.
