Bid deadline for Singapore casino

MGM and CapitaLand say they will bring the biggest acts if they win

Final bids to build and run a $3bn (£1.7bn) super-casino in Singapore must be in by Wednesday, with US giant MGM Mirage said to be the main favourite.

The eventual winner for the scheme - one of the most expensive casino projects of all time - will be chosen by the government in the summer.

Singapore has said it will be looking for the "wow" factor of each scheme.

It wants the waterfront facility to become an emblem for the city-state, on a par with the Sydney Opera House.

Local partner

MGM Mirage's bid is being made in partnership with Singapore-based developer Capitaland.

They have promised to attract top Asian performers if they are successful.

Other bids are being led by fellow US giants Harrah's Entertainment and Las Vegas Sands.

Malaysian firms Genting International and Star Cruises are also hoping to win the contract.

Singapore wants the casino, the first of two planned, to attract Asian gamblers and boost its tourism revenues.

Macau-centred

"Our best educated guess is that the MGM and Capitaland consortium has a slight lead over the Harrah's and Keppel Land team," DBS Vickers analyst James Tan said.

International casino firms are rushing to invest in Asia, where casino revenues are expected to total $13bn this year.

Most of the industry is currently centred on Macau, the Chinese special administrative region and former Portuguese colony, down the coast from Hong Kong.

Analysts said Thailand and Japan were likely to follow Singapore's move and build their own large casinos as gambling liberalisation spreads across the wider region.