Singapore  - The developer of Singapore's first casino said Wednesday the multi-billion-dollar complex would be delayed several months, putting it in a race with the city-state's second casino, scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2010.

The Marina Bay Sands, originally projected to open before the end of the year, is now expected to have its first phase completed in January or February, Las Vegas Sands Corp chief executive Sheldon Adelson said.

"We can't control the flow of sand to make concrete with, we can't control the availability of steel and we can't control the availability of labour," Adelson said.

In June, the developer of Singapore's second casino, Resorts World at Sentosa island, said it was on track for its soft opening early next year, with 60 per cent of the
49-hectare resort starting operations.

The Marina Bay Sands, a triple tower with huge convention and entertainment facilities in the heart of Singapore's financial district, topped out the three 55-storey hotel towers Wednesday.

The costs for the project would total 5.5 billion US dollars, Adelson said.

Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World at Sentosa - which will host the world's biggest oceanarium, a Universal Studio theme park and six hotels - are expected to boost Singapore's ailing tourism industry which was hit hard by the global economic downturn.

However, Resorts World developer Genting International already slashed the number of expected visitors for 2010 from 15 million down to 12-13 million due to the recession. The firm said it is investing 4.32 billion US dollars in the project.

For Marina Bay Sands, Adelson gave a positive outlook. "We are in the trough of the cycle, so things are looking up," he said.(dpa)