Thursday 17 February at 10.00-11.30

The World in the Casino: Contract, Model and Exhibition in three Asian cities

Abstract
Over the last twenty years, the center of the casino industry has relocated from Las Vegas to three cities in Asia-Pacific, namely Singapore, Macau and Manila (Philippines). Underpinning this transformation is a partnership between states and casino concessionaires whereby the sovereign right of taxation is leased to private entities that in turn allow states to tax populations outside their territories. In this presentation, I share my analysis of the "state-concessionaire" relationship across three sites - the contract, the model and the exhibition. I begin by contextualizing the relationship in colonial revenue farming and contemporary geopolitics. Then I discuss how a particular model of casino development, known as an Integrated Resort, mystifies this relationship and promotes the casino industry to new markets in Asia. Finally, I zoom into one casino lobby and show how the cultural politics of display is as much about philanthropy as patriotism.   

The seminar is co-hosted by Center for Global Asian Studies.

Link to Zoom: https://www.score.su.se/english/research/events-news-at-score/open-seminar-at-score-kah-wee-lee-1.593476