I lived in Singapore for about two years, and the stolid, almost Puritan sensibility of the Singapore establishment has always stuck with me years after I came back home. Which is why this article came as a surprise: Singapore's Huge Bet On Sex And Gambling Is About To Pay Off Big Time.

"Something clicked many years back when Singapore suddenly realized that the key to being a world city isn't just about business... it is about having fun too," the article begins. The F-word - "fun" - is starting to become common currency in Singapore, with the opening of its first casino in Resorts World in Sentosa.

The construction of Resorts World Sentosa, together with the Las Vegas Sands' casino resort, Marina Bay Sands, is costing more than US$10 billion... Genting's casino complex includes a Universal Studios movie theme park.

But you can trust the Singaporean government to rain on the parade with a series of ads warning about the ill effects of gambling. And just when I thought the staid old Singapore was gone for good! (see it after the jump).