GIRLS, remember your school days when you would never go to the toilet alone? You would always ask a gal pal to tag along – because toilet breaks were  opportunities to share a giggle, a gripe or a juicy morsel of gossip.

Well, it seems that women never outgrow this preference for doing things in  groups.

It is this bit of female psychology that Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) is tapping  into with a dedicated ladies-only zone in its casino.

Women tend to turn up at the casino with their groups of friends. More so than the men, said Mr Jay Lee, senior vice-president of gaming services at RWS.

And they enjoy gaming with other women more than with men.

Just a quick look around the main gaming hall showed he was right. The women  punters seemed to move around in herds. And while some tables were occupied by an equal mix of men and women, others were dominated by only female  punters.

The decision to create an area just for the ladies was also based on feedback  given by RWS’ female patrons, said Mr Lee.

“They wanted an area that is more exclusive and customised for ladies,” he said.  “They just want to be pampered in an area where they can game by themselves.”

So what do the women get in the Ladies Club? Located in the main gaming hall, the zone is hived off by a barricade of wooden railings. Inside are 12 tables of  three games – Baccarat, Pontoon and Three-Pictures – which are the top favourites among female punters at the casino.

Women who game in the Ladies Club also have more options when they need to  quench their thirst.

They can choose between Lady Luck – a special concoction of juices – and hot  herbal drinks such as red date tea and luo han guo with chrysanthemum. Only water, coffee and soft drinks are served in the main gaming hall.

And what about the croupiers, waiters and supervisors assigned to serve in the  zone? While a few are female, most of the 20-plus employees there are male.
They were specially selected because of their ability to interact well with the  punters, Mr Lee said.

Attentive men
“It’s (about) the chemistry with the customers,” he said. “They are more attentive  to what the ladies want.”

Are good looks a must? No, said Mr Lim Soon Hua, assistant director of communications at RWS.

“Most importantly, they must be friendly, be able to engage the ladies and make  them feel at ease,” he said.

But the male croupiers in the zone all seemed to be young and easy on the eye.

“We have no pre-determined criteria for our croupiers,” Mr Lee said. Whether it  was the boyish-looking croupiers clad in hot pink shirts (the croupiers in the main area are all white-shirted), the special drinks or the air of exclusivity in the Ladies  Club, the zone looked set to be a hit.

A large crowd of female punters had flocked to the area less than half an hour  before it opened at the auspicious time of 3.28pm yesterday.

The mostly middle-aged group looked like they could hardly wait to enter. Some  men, curious about the commotion, planted themselves along the wooden  barricades to watch the spectacle.

A young male employee gave out fliers promoting the area. A few middle-aged  women surrounded him.

“When can we redeem the free welcome gift pack?” one asked in Mandarin. A  middle-aged male in their group reached out to take a flier.

“Uncle, this is only for the ladies,” the employee said in Mandarin. “Huh? Only the  ladies ah?” the man asked, looking crestfallen.

Yes, the men don’t get it. And the women, like housewives Jenny Sing, 42, and  Angela Sing, 52, are elated. The sisters, who are at the RWS casino once a week,  are glad they don’t have to jostle with the men.

“Sometimes we have to squeeze with the men, and when we women do that, we  always lose out,” the older Madam Sing said in Mandarin. Her sister added:  “Women are more gentle. When men get angry, they slam tables or use  vulgarities. When we encounter a rowdy guy, we get scared.”

But, girls, it seems, just wanna have fun.

Said a Malaysian tourist, housewife Tong Poh Lin, 55: “When we come here, what  is most important is to be happy. It doesn’t matter whether we win or lose.”

This article was first published in The New Paper.