Casino resort City of Dreams Manila (pictured) has already welcomed more than 600,000 visitors, said property operator Melco Crown (Philippines) Resorts Corp.
“More than 600,000 visitors have had a first experience of the stunning new resort, during its ‘Sneak Preview’ period, with some 20,000 people visiting on its first day after doors opened to the public on December 14 last year,” the firm stated on a press release on Monday.
The scheme, described in media reports as a US$1.3-billion project, is a partnership between Melco Crown Philippines, a subsidiary of Macau-based casino operator Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd, and Philippine-based Premium Leisure and Amusement Inc, a unit of Premium Leisure Corp, controlled by the family of Philippine billionaire Henry Sy.
The official launch of City of Dreams Manila will take place on February 2, as previously reported by GGRAsia.
The event is just prior to Lunar New Year, which falls this year on February 19. The festival is known in Greater China as Chinese New Year, and is a popular time for Chinese and other Asian people to visit casinos.
In Monday’s press release, Melco Crown Philippines gave more details on the opening ceremony.
The official launch will be led by Melco Crown co-chairmen Lawrence Ho Yau Lung and James Packer. They will be accompanied by the chairman and president of Melco Crown Philippines, Clarence Chung Yuk Man.
Celebrations include the ‘Concert of Dreams’, featuring American R&B star Ne-Yo and several Philippine entertainers. There will also be a gala dinner and pyrotechnics display.
City of Dreams Manila is the second casino resort to open at Entertainment City, in Manila. The new resort is solely operated and managed by Melco Crown Philippines.
The property features VIP and mass-market gaming facilities with capacity for 380 gaming tables, 1,700 slot machines and 1,700 electronic table games. Its offering also includes hotel, retail, food and beverage and entertainment facilities.
Entertainment City, an 120-hectare area of reclaimed land close to Manila, has been earmarked by Philippine authorities to become a casino cluster, meant to emulate the success of Macau’s Cotai district.
Each Entertainment City resort has a minimum price tag of US$1 billion. The first property there, Solaire Resort and Casino, opened in 2013 and is owned by Bloomberry Resorts Corp. There a total of four large-scale casino resorts planned for the area.
