The Asian Poker Tour (APT) announced on Monday that it was cancelling an event it had scheduled for September 8 to 21 in Manila, the Philippines, because of travel restrictions associated with Covid-19.
The brand has been organising a number of online events after being forced to cancel some in-person Asia-Pacific tournaments due to the coronavirus alert across the region.
“Please be informed that due to the ongoing Covid-19 … situation, and travel restrictions, the APT Philippines scheduled to take place next month from 8th to 21st September 2020 has been cancelled,” said the poker promoter.
“Updates on the upcoming APT events will be posted on the APT website and our official Facebook page as soon as available,” it added.
The event was to take place at Resorts World Manila, the latter venue a venture between Philippine-based Alliance Global Group Inc and Hong Kong-listed Genting Hong Kong Ltd.
The Metro Manila area, encompassing the Philippine capital’s large-scale casino resorts, had its Covid-19 lockdown status eased back to general community quarantine, with effect from August 19, until at least August 31 inclusive.
Casino complexes in the Metro Manila area have been closed since mid-March due to the pandemic. But it was not clear whether so-called “dry runs” of casino operations at Metro Manila – that had been permitted during part of the second quarter – would be resumed following the latest easing of lockdown conditions there.
According to financial results filed by the respective operators of Solaire Resort and Casino, and the City of Dreams Manila, and Resorts World Manila casino complexes, such dry runs generated the equivalent of millions of U.S. dollars in the second quarter, during the general community quarantine period.
