Singapore will have not one, but two casinos. I think I echo many Singaporeans who don’t really have an opinion on the actual matter itself — not being interested in gambling of any sort, I’ve wandered through the gaming rooms at Burswood Casino on a few occasions, if only to get to their concert hall or restaurant — but on the farce (not noted in the IHT story linked above) called the consultative process. Once the idea reached Singapore’s mainstream media, it was a done deal, all that was left was to work out how to make it acceptable to the average Singaporean without seeming to have rammed it through insensitively.

Macau, I hear, is trying to tart clean itself up for more tourist gambling, I believe, with many saying that it could be like Las Vegas in just ten years. I think the Singapore government wants a piece of the pie before Macau rakes it all in — plus, with Macau being a mere ferry ride to Hong Kong, Singapore’s Tourism Board really has a fight on its hands.

Like La Idler, I think the Singapore government should try to be more creative when thinking of new ways to attract tourists into the country. We should start making non-wealthy retirees work for their room and board: these oldies who live in the one-bedroom flats in Redhill? Dress up their homes! Former Samsui women who toiled in construction and manual labour to help build Singapore’s infrastructure? They should be putting on variety shows that tell Singapore’s story! Singapore — we may be aging, but we’re still FUN.

(The above was a joke, okay? I volunteered, back in the day, to deliver meals on wheels to the mostly-forgotten elderly Singaporeans — they are an admirable bunch.)

This news originally from Idle Days.