Gaming industry seen expanding outside of Entertainment City

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine gaming industry is seen expanding outside the 100-hectare Entertainment City of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) in Parañaque within the next three to five years.

Industry data showed that there are several projects in the pipeline outside the Entertainment City.

Credit rating agency Fitch said Entertainment City is showing signs of maturation with more players filling up the gaming scene in the Las Vegas-style complex.

As such, gaming companies are looking at areas outside the Entertainment City.

Enrique Razon’s Solaire Resort and Casino, for instance, is building a P20-billion resort in Quezon City, his second casino after the Entertainment City.

Construction could be finished as early as 2019.

In Pampanga, South Korean construction firm Donggwang Construction Co. Ltd., (DCC.) is developing the $400 million Clark SunValley Resorts and Country Club project at the Clark Freeport Zone.

The project, which will have a casino is expected to launch in the fourth quarter of 2017.

In the southern Philippines in Cebu, Calata Corp. will put up a casino project.

The company teamed up with American firms Sino-America Gaming Investment Group LLC (Sino-America) and Macau Resources Group Ltd. (MRG) to create a real estate and investment trust (REIT) for a proposed P65-billion gaming resort in Mactan.

Under the plan, the project would have a casino, three hotels, a yacht club, as well as commercial, retail and conference facilities. It is targeting to start commercial operations in 2020.

But while the industry is expanding nationwide, the Entertainment City is completing the final phase of development.

In 2020, Travellers International’s Westside City Resorts World is also scheduled to open the fourth resort in the complex.