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A plan to legalize casino gambling in Singapore has been approved by the country's government.

Two new casinos have gotten the greenlight from Singapore's prime minister on Marina Bay and Sentosa resort island.

"We want Singapore to have the x-factor - that buzz that you get in London, Paris or New York," said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

According to a BBC article,

The casinos, which will be operational by 2009, are central to Singapore's goal of doubling the number of tourists to 17 million a year.

But religious groups expressed alarm at the plan.

Singapore's Roman Catholic Archbishop Nicholas Chia said he understood the economic arguments, but said "we are very worried about the cost of human, family and social well-being".

The country could potentially save up to $180 million a year in money that Singaporeans currently spend in Malaysian casinos.

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