GGRAsia – Okada Manila to start casino operations Dec 30

Okada Manila to start casino operations Dec 30

Dec 29, 2016 Newsdesk Latest News, Philippines, Top of the deck

Philippine gaming resort Okada Manila said on Wednesday it would be officially launching its casino operations on December 30, at 7pm. This follows the issuance of a notice to commence casino operations from the country’s gaming regulator, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (Pagcor), on December 21.

The US$2.4-billion Okada Manila had a soft opening – referred to by the venue’s promoter as a “preview period” – on December 21. An official opening for the property will take place at the end of February 2017, according to a press released issued on Wednesday.

Under the terms of the deal with Pagcor, the casino operations will start under a provisional licence, with a permanent licence to be granted at a later stage.

Okada Manila is being developed by Philippines-based Tiger Resort, Leisure and Entertainment Inc, a subsidiary of Universal Entertainment. The latter is headed by Japanese gaming and pachinko entrepreneur Kazuo Okada.

The property has a two-wing hotel with 993 rooms. In addition to the casino (pictured in a rendering), it also includes restaurants, shops and meeting space. Okada Manila said in Wednesday’s press release that the opening of the hotel and additional restaurants would be announced in the coming weeks.