Harrahs Still Undecided on Singapore Bid

Gaming giant Harrah's Entertainment Inc. is still in the process of deciding on whether to enter a bid for a casino in Singapore, according to a spokesman on Wednesday. The project has a July 31 deadline.

Harrah's, in partnership with Singapore's Keppel Land Ltd., lost a previous casino bid to rival Las Vegas Sands Corp. The bid was for the first of two planned casinos in the city-state.

Harrah's later said that it would mull over bidding for the second casino, planned for the resort island of Sentosa.

"We are continuing to evaluate our position in Singapore," Harrah's spokesman Alberto Lopez said. "There is a considerable amount of effort that is ongoing as we review our position."

Harrah's is still yet to open a casino in Asia, despite its aggressive efforts in other regions, including Europe.

Three groups have already confirmed that they will be bidding on the Sentosa island project: Southeast Asia's largest developer CapitaLand Ltd in partnership with Kerzner International, Mark Advent, and Malaysia's Genting group in a tie up with Universal Studios.

The bidders are only given until the end of July to deposit a fee and submit forms to Singapore authorities. October marks the due date for final bids.