Setting aside its deep-seated puritanical instincts, the ruling People's Action Party has made a big double bet. Firstly, that the casinos will attract enough punters to allow the operators, Malaysia's Genting and America's Las Vegas Sands, to recoup their massive investments and boost the wider Singapore economy. And secondly, that the casinos can thrive without leading to an increase in prostitution, addiction and organized crime, the sort of problems that tend to proliferate around gaming houses in Asia.At stake is Singapore's carefully-cultivated international image as a safe and orderly commercial hub and the domestic credibility of a government that clams legitimacy from always knowing best. Full Story
