• Before the two casinos opened at Resorts World Sentosa in 2011, it was illegal to set up casinos in Singapore. As a result, some large ferry operators would advertise cruises to attract customers, and start gambling activities on board once the ship has entered international waters. According to the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA), “a cruise to nowhere” is defined as a round trip from a Singapore port that does not exceed 36 hours. At the time, most ferries offering “a cruise to nowhere” were often related to gambling activities.  

• Gambling ships were drastically impacted by the two casinos at Resorts World Sentosa. In 2011, a gambling ship called the Long Jie ceased operations after running for four years. At present, only the gambling ship Leisure World is still in operation around ferry terminals in Singapore. Passengers will first have to take a ferry from the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal to Batam, before transferring to another ferry that will bring them to the gambling ship. The entire journey takes more than an hour. 

• Despite being adversely affected, since 2013, gambling ships have seen an increase in elderly patrons who refuse to pay the $100 casino entrance fee at Resorts World Sentosa. In contrast, patrons only need to pay $43 for a round trip on the gambling ship, which includes a buffet. On weekdays, patrons aged 55 years old and above only need to pay $23.

In recent years, more and more elderly patrons in Singapore are choosing to visit gambling ships. This is because they are either unwilling to pay the casino entrance fee or they are trying to find a way around casino exclusion orders.