• About Us
  • The Team
  • Advertise with Us

The latest news on the gaming industry in Asia

() () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () ()
  • Home
  • Macau
  • Philippines
  • Singapore
  • Japan
  • Rest of Asia
  • World
  • Industry Talk
  • Trends & Tech
  • iGaming
  • follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • RSS Feed
    • LinkedIn

Philippine govt divided on Caesars’ casino plan

Oct 23, 2014 Newsdesk Latest News, Philippines, Top of the deck  


Philippine govt divided on Caesars’ casino plan

Caesars Entertainment Corp’s plans to open a casino resort in the Philippines have split the country’s cabinet.

Philippine President Benigno Aquino (pictured) said on Wednesday his ministers are still debating whether to issue a new casino licence for the U.S.-based gaming operator.

“There are some sectors that are saying they [Caesars] will not add to the gaming revenues of government. There are those who are saying Caesars is a brand name that tells the world that essentially we have arrived,” Mr Aquino said at a forum organised by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines.

“I am still awaiting the consensus coming from the cabinet,” he said, quoted by several media.

Philippine-based news outlet Rappler.com reported Mr Aquino saying only the Department of Tourism supported Caesars’ proposal, while the local casino regulator, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp, was against it. The Department of Finance “is in between the two”, Mr Aquino reportedly explained.

Rappler added that Mr Aquino also expected that the Catholic Church, a powerful institution in the Philippines, would oppose the proposed casino resort.

Steven Tight, president for international development for Caesars, told GGRAsia on Wednesday that the firm is willing to spend US$1 billion on the project, to be located near Manila International Airport.

He said: “What I think is most exciting about the opportunity is to create what I suppose would be the world’s first ‘fly in’ integrated [gaming] resort, where you could fly your plane right onto the property and have access directly to the resort, without having to deal with the traffic and other complications of Manila itself.”

The Philippines is currently developing an 120-hectare area of reclaimed land close to Manila – known as Entertainment City – into 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. A condition imposed on the licensees is that they create properties that compete with the best that Macau, Singapore and Las Vegas have to offer. That’s in order to attract overseas players to the Philippines.

Philippines media on Wednesday reported Cristino Naguiat, chairman of the local casino regulator, saying that the minimum capital required from any additional casino operators seeking a licence in Manila might be increased to US$1.5 billion from US$1 billion. “We have to give credit to those who took the risk earlier,” Mr Naguiat said.

The first property in Entertainment City, Solaire Resort and Casino, opened last year and is owned by Bloomberry Resorts Corp. The second venue, City of Dreams Manila, is due to open later this year – it is backed by the richest man in the Philippines, Henry Sy, and Macau-based gaming operator Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd.

Other licence holders are: Alliance Global Group Inc and Genting Hong Kong Ltd, which also manage the already-operational Resorts World Manila near the capital’s airport; and Universal Entertainment Corp, controlled by Japanese billionaire Kazuo Okada.


  • tweet
Related articles
  • LET Group narrows year loss, Manila site open end 2024
    LET Group narrows year loss, Manila...

    Mar 31, 2023  

  • Jeju Shinhwa op narrows loss, gets extension from Pagcor
    Jeju Shinhwa op narrows loss, gets...

    Mar 31, 2023  

More news
  • Macau March GGR up 247pct y-o-y, to US$1.6bln: govt
    Macau March GGR up 247pct y-o-y, to...

    Apr 01, 2023  

  • Some Macau hotels say no rooms vacant 3 days of Easter
    Some Macau hotels say no rooms vacant 3...

    Mar 31, 2023  


Latest News

Macau March GGR up 247pct y-o-y, to US$1.6bln: govt

Macau March GGR up 247pct y-o-y, to US$1.6bln: govt

Apr 01, 2023  

Macau’s casino gross gaming revenue (GGR) was up 246.9 percent year-on-year in March, to just under MOP12.74 billion (US$1.58 billion). The March tally was up 23.4 percent month-on-month,...
Read More
Some Macau hotels say no rooms vacant 3 days of Easter

Some Macau hotels say no rooms vacant 3 days of Easter

Mar 31, 2023  

Macau 2023 GGR at 45pct of pre-Covid level: Moody’s

Macau 2023 GGR at 45pct of pre-Covid level: Moody’s

Mar 31, 2023  

Sign up to our FREE Newsletter

UB8V5.qr.16(Click here for more)

Pick of the Day

”Efforts have pivoted to the construction of the hotel tower, with plans to launch a soft opening before the end of 2024 and a grand opening in 2025”

Casino investor LET Group

On the development of a casino hotel in Manila, the Philippine capital



Most Popular

  • Some Macau hotels say no rooms vacant 3 days of EasterSome Macau hotels say no rooms vacant 3 days of Easter March 31, 2023
  • Macau 2023 GGR at 45pct of pre-Covid level: Moody’sMacau 2023 GGR at 45pct of pre-Covid level: Moody’s March 31, 2023
  • Macau March GGR up 247pct y-o-y, to US$1.6bln: govtMacau March GGR up 247pct y-o-y, to US$1.6bln: govt April 1, 2023
  • LET Group narrows year loss, Manila site open end 2024LET Group narrows year loss, Manila site open end 2024 March 31, 2023
  • Japan govt delays IR decision due to local elections: reportJapan govt delays IR decision due to local elections: report March 30, 2023
Copyright 2014-2023 TEAM Publishing and Consultancy Ltd / All rights reserved
  • Code of Ethics
  • Privacy Policy
  • Useful Links
  • Contact Us