BestCraps.com

Conference Organizers File Suit Against Marina Bay Sands in Singapore

Posted on June 11th, 2010

News Sponsored by Online Vegas Casino

Rated 5 Stars by BestCraps.com

Read Review

Visit Casino

Download Software

————————————————

In answer to a legal case filed by a casino in Singapore for unpaid bills, organizers of a conference held in Marina Bay Sands filed a suit against the casino for a number of disasters during the four-day forum and for exercising pressure, coercion and threat. In a case now known as Marina Bay Sands Pte Ltd. vs. IPBA 2101 Singapore Pte Ltd., IPBA 2010 Pte, acting for the Inter-Pacific Bar Association conference, is suing the casino owned by Las Vegas Sands Corp. for misrepresentation, breach of agreement, and the casino’s conduct. The organizers of the conference held in Marina Bay Sands on May 2-5 filed the lawsuit before the Singapore High Court June 8.

According to IPBA, the casino guaranteed a “full suite of facilities,” and that the resort would be an “iconic venue,” but for the duration of the conference, the first one hosted by the casino, one mishap after another happened. Delegates at the conference grumbled over lost luggage and being locked in their rooms because of keys that failed to work properly. Others complained of unfinished rooms and services that are not functioning. Upon their arrival at the hotel, delegates saw pails placed at the entrance hall of the hotel lobby to catch water leaking from the roof. Some guests had to take cover under umbrellas as they checked in at the registration counter.

At the conference, which had Singapore’s first prime minister, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew as guest speaker, a power failure interrupted a speech by the chief justice of New South Wales, Australia. Organizers of the conference also said Marina Bay Sands threateningly told them the casino would not provide them the services for the conference until they have paid the venue in full. Because of the threats, organizers stated in their filing, they were forced to give three checks to Marina Bay Sands “under protest.” The IPBA later ordered payment of two of the checks to be stopped, which prompted Marina Bay Sands to take legal action against IPBA on May 14 for non-payment of bills amounting to S$300,000 ($212,200).

The organizers accused the resort of using the convention and the presence of Lee in the meeting to benefit its business and to expedite the temporary occupation permit and casino license, which the casino was granted days before the conference. But Michael Leven, Chief operating officer of Las Vegas Sands, in a television interview in New York, said the company expected the IPBA to file counter charges, and that Sands will have a strong defense. Leven said the problems that cropped up were normal troubles for any commercial establishment during opening, especially for a huge property such as Marina Bay Sands. But, he said, resort officials knew what they were in for at the outset, since the event was attended by an assembly of lawyers.

In an emailed statement, Marina Bay Sand said the resort tried to address the problems immediately to settle matters without bringing them to court, but to no avail. “We’ve always left the door open for them. They chose to sue us,” said Yap Wai Ming, chairman of the organizing committee for the IPBA conference. Drew &Napier LLC is representing the Tokyo-based IPBA and Sands lawyers are from Harry Elias Partnership LLP. In 2005, the Singapore government decided to end a ban on casinos to draw more tourists and to increase annual revenue from tourism that could reach S$30 billion by 2015.

The government settled on licensing two casinos, the $5.5 billion Marina Bay Sands of Las Vegas Sands Corp. which opened one phase of its complex on April 27, after a December opening was delayed, and Resorts World Sentosa of Genting Singapore Plc, which opened ahead of Sands on February 14.