Give Marina Bay Sands good grades for brand value. U.K.-based consultancy Brand Finance Plc. says the Singapore integrated resort, which was No. 5 on its best-brands list in 2023, now outranks all others on the “Gambling 25” report for 2024.
According to GGRAsia, eight other casino brands in the Asia Pacific region made the Top 25, along with four gaming equipment supply brands. But Marina Bay Sands (MBS), run by the U.S.-based Las Vegas Sands Corp., outranks them all with a value exceeding US$6.16 billion and a brand rating of AAA+, or “extremely strong.”
“The resort’s status as a key landmark in Singapore, akin to iconic structures like the Eiffel Tower or Sydney Opera House, contributes to its brand identity,” report authors wrote.
One of two multibillion-dollar integrated resorts (IRs) in Singapore, MBS has an “extremely high familiarity rating, despite significant segments of the Singaporean community not participating in gambling activities due to religious and cultural factors,” said Brand Finance.
A “key factor” in the brand’s value growth was the IR’s diversity of offerings. “Beyond its primary casino operations, Marina Bay Sands encompasses a hotel, shopping center, restaurants and entertainment facilities,” the report stated. “This diversification strategy extends the brand’s market reach and helps mitigate potential industry-specific risks.”
Singapore’s second IR, Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), made third place, down one spot from 2023. It was valued at just under US$3.54 billion, down 2.3 percent year-on-year. RWS is owned by Malaysia-based casino giant Genting, whose brand includes IRs in Las Vegas, New York, the U.K. and elsewhere.
In fifth place is Wynn Resorts, down from third place last year, with a brand value of just under US$2.99 billion, down 14.2 percent. Wynn operates Wynn Macau and Wynn Palace in Macau along with Encore Boston Harbor in Massachusetts. The brand is also developing Wynn Al Marjan Island, in Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates.
The Galaxy Macau brand, with a Macau resort of the same name, rounds out the Top 10, down one slot from 2023. Its estimated brand value was US$2.00 billion.
Also in the Top 25:
- The MGM Resorts brand, which has a presence in Macau with MGM Macau and MGM Cotai. MGM is now planning to build an $8 billion casino resort in Osaka, Japan
- Venetian Macao and Sands Macao, both run by Sands China Ltd.
- City of Dreams, a Melco Resorts & Entertainment brand
- SJM of SJM Holdings Ltd. of Macau
Among equipment suppliers, IGT placed highest, at No. 12, down from No. 8 in 2023. Aristocrat came in 13th, down from No. 6 last year. Novomatic jumped seven spots to 17th, while Light & Wonder held steady at 19th, a slot it also held in 2023.
