Resorts World Sentosa says major renovation disruptions have ended
The bulk of disruptive renovation work at Singapore’s integrated resort Resorts World Sentosa has been completed, with management now focused on rebuilding visitation and commercial performance, according to the property’s chief executive.
Lee Shi Ruh, chief executive of Resorts World at Sentosa Pte Ltd, noted that the next phase would centre on repositioning the resort as its multi-year RWS 2.0 expansion progresses.
“There won’t be another wave of major closures,” Lee told The Straits Times in comments published on 19 January. “Now, it’s about putting everything together. But results don’t come through immediately. It takes time to rebuild.”
Resorts World at Sentosa Pte Ltd operates Resorts World Sentosa and is a subsidiary of Genting Singapore Ltd.
RWS 2.0 scope and timeline
The RWS 2.0 programme represents a total investment of about $6.8 billion and aims to expand the resort’s gross floor area by roughly 50 percent by 2030, according to company disclosures and prior reporting by AGBrief and Blooloop.
Completed or launched elements of the expansion include the Singapore Oceanarium, which opened in early 2025 following the rebranding and expansion of the former S.E.A. Aquarium; Illumination’s Minion Land at Universal Studios Singapore; the WEAVE lifestyle and retail precinct; and The Laurus hotel, part of The Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts portfolio.
Remaining phases include a waterfront lifestyle complex featuring approximately 700 new hotel rooms and additional event and entertainment space. Genting Singapore broke ground on the waterfront development in late 2024 and has said the full RWS 2.0 programme is expected to be completed in 2030.
Lee Shi Ruh told The Business Times that the renovation would only be fully complete once the waterfront complex opens, but said the company did not intend to wait until then to reintroduce the resort to customers.
“That said, we don’t wait until then to show people this new phase,” she said.
Operational positioning
Lee said management plans to use 2026 to test new concepts, programming and events, with a focus on encouraging repeat visits by both tourists and local residents.
“To bring people back, they need to feel that this is a place they can hang out with family and friends, with something new every two to three weeks,” she told The Straits Times.
She added that the broader non-gaming offering was intended to support casino activity, noting that some past visitors had previously come to gamble and left without engaging with other attractions.
“In the past, some guests came to gamble and then left straight away,” Lee said. “How do you bring gamers back? We want them to feel there is more to do – eat, drink, socialise and spend time with family and friends.”
Resorts World Sentosa has previously closed or retired attractions as part of redevelopment works, including the Crane Dance show in 2020 and the Hard Rock Hotel in March 2024. The company has not announced any further major gaming floor or attraction closures as part of the remaining RWS 2.0 phases.
Financial performance
Genting Singapore reported revenue of $649.8 million for the three months ended 30 September, up 15.6 percent year on year, according to its third-quarter results. Net profit for the period rose 19.2 percent to $94.6 million.
Separately, analyst reports cited by ASGAM showed that gaming revenue rose year on year in the third quarter of 2025, supported by higher VIP volumes and win rates, while non-gaming revenue increased following the opening of new attractions and retail areas. The company has not published a detailed capital expenditure breakdown for RWS 2.0 by segment.
Regulatory context
Singapore’s Gambling Regulatory Authority granted Genting Singapore a two-year extension of its casino licence from February 2025, shorter than the typical three-year term. The authority did not cite RWS 2.0 as imposing any new regulatory constraints on operations.
Stay ahead of iGaming’s biggest stories with SiGMA’s Top 10 News countdown. The world’s biggest iGaming community brings you weekly insights and subscriber-only offers. Join HERE today.
