visited the Resorts World Casino for the first time on
Friday night and I don't think I'll be going back there anytime
soon.
Don't get me wrong, I'll be checking out the rest of the
restaurants there in the near future (I highly recommend Palio, the
Tuscan restaurant at Hotel Michael.
The food was fresh, delicious and authentic!), and I'll
definitely be visiting the Universal Theme Park when it opens but
I'm not going back to the casino.
No, it's not because I lost a lot of money (because I didn't) or
that this casino seems to have no wait staff asking you if you want
a drink even at a table that calls for a minimum $50 bet. (Someone
just carts around a trolley filled with free bottles of plain
mineral water. Can you believe it?).
It isn't even because the tables are so crowded you can barely
play.
I am not going back there because I think it's ludicrous that an
entertaining affair like visiting a casino can become cumbersome
and segregating.
I and many other Singaporeans were made to feel like animals,
being herded and checked like 2nd rate citizens.
As if it's not bad enough that we're charged an exorbitant levy
of $100 just to enter the premises, we have to endure a long and
slow-moving queue at the entrance because our ICs have to be
scanned by very slow machines that break down under the load, and
get this, we Singaporeans have to endure a similar extremely long
and slow-moving queue to leave the casino because yes, our ICs have
to be scanned by very slow machines that break down under the load!
I was appalled.
Look, I'm not complaining about the levy of $100. I'm sure the
government thought this through and understands the bigger picture
far better than I do.
But I do think scanning our ICs on the way in and out is a bit
far out and almost hilarious. It really makes us a laughing stock
among foreigners, especially in this day and age.
Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a patriot. I would defend our
country, its values, and political ways till I go red in the
face.
But I have to admit I'm finding it very difficult to come up
with logical reasons to the stringent casino entry rules. Like I
said, making me pay money...that's fine by me.
Just don't treat us badly by making the process tedious,
embarrassing and inconvenient. I mean, we Singaporeans should be
treated like VIPs having paid all that money just to enter the
casino!
And the above is my most recent experience with gambling.
I don't gamble a lot to have accumulated that many experiences.
I've been to casinos in Australia, Vegas, Macau and on cruise ships
and I've only ever had fun! I set my loss limit to about $300 and I
always stick to it. To me, it's all just for the entertainment of
it all.
Poker games with friends are the best. Bets are kept small and
the big winner of the night buys everyone supper.
I've never won a huge amount from gambling.In fact I did play
that 10 million dollar toto, but think I won the smallest prize,
what's the amount you get when you've got 3 numbers and the
additional number? I have no idea. Haven't yet gone to claim my
prize money. I just remember the amount being very
insignificant.
Life itself is a gamble enough. I don't really need to get
involved in serious gambling.
Anyway, I'm too much of a realist. However, if 50 bucks buys me
some extra thrill while I'm watching a football match, then why
not?
By Jamie Yeo, AsiaOne, my
paper | Fri, Mar 5 2010
