Posted: Mar 8, 2023, 8:00 a.m.
Last updated: March 8, 2023, 8:10 a.m.
Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore has partnered with LIV Golf, the controversial world tour of professional golf funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). The sovereign wealth fund is one of the richest in the world with assets estimated at 620 billion dollars.
The 2023 LIV golf season kicked off last month in Mexico with LIV Golf Mayakoba. The tour will then stop in Tucson, Az., from March 17-19.
LIV Golf Singapore will take place from April 28-30 at the Serapong course at Sentosa Golf Club. Resorts World Singapore, one of the world’s largest integrated resort destinations, which features a 160,000 square foot casino with over 2,400 slot machines and 500 table games, will be the title sponsor of LIV Golf Singapore.
We are bringing LIV Golf to Singapore because it is part of our DNA to deliver new, high-end experiences to our wide range of visitors. Many of our premium visitors are also golf enthusiasts and they will like this event,” commented Tan Hee Teck, CEO of RW Sentosa.
World Golf Hall of Fame member Greg Norman, CEO and Commissioner of LIV Golf, said the golf tournament will bring some of the best golfers in the world to Singapore, a “market deserving of the best competitive and entertainment experiences. events. of our sport”.
Resorts World Sentosa shares a casino gaming duopoly in Singapore with Marina Bay Sands, which is owned and operated by Las Vegas Sands.
Moderate controversy
LIV Golf has been chastised on the world political stage for acting as a front for the Saudi government to improve its public image through “sportswashing”. In the United States, many residents, journalists and PGA Tour players continue to hold negative views of Saudis due to the country’s alleged links to the financing of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Despite the controversy, LIV Golf’s huge login bonuses and $25 million tournament purses have successfully poached many of the PGA Tour’s top players. Notable golf superstars who have jumped for LIV include Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka.
The parent organization of Resorts World Sentosa is the Genting Group, a Malaysia-based conglomerate that invests in gaming and hospitality, oil and gas, agriculture, science and biotechnology, and power generation. While Genting’s Resorts World New York City property is far less likely to support a US-based LIV golf event, the Singapore tournament is likely to cause far less controversy for the global conglomerate.
Tan, who was elevated to CEO in May 2022, said Resorts World’s sponsorship of LIV Golf Singapore is part of the casino’s ongoing commitment to bringing world-class entertainment and attractions to the city-state. . .
Trump’s involvement
Former President Donald Trump is a huge fan of LIV Golf and lends several of his golf courses to the tour. The 2023 LIV Golf League consists of 14 tournaments, and three of them are scheduled for lessons with Trump on their behalf.
LIV Golf Washington, DC, scheduled for May 26-28, will be played at Trump National Golf Club outside the nation’s capital in Sterling, Virginia. LIV Golf Bedminster, scheduled for August 11-13, will be played at Trump National Golf Club in New Jersey. And from October 20-22, LIV Golf Miami will be played at Trump National Doral.
Trump said last fall that LIV Golf was backed by “good people with unlimited money.”
New York Impact
Genting is pursuing a large-scale downstate casino license for RW New York City. The Queens Casino near JFK International Airport is currently limited to video lottery terminals and electronic table games. A full-scale casino license would allow the property to bring Las Vegas-style slots, live dealer table games, and sports betting to the property.
Along with MGM Resorts’ Empire City Casino in Yonkers, Resorts World is considered a leader in one of three downstate casino licenses.
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