Premium Leisure Corporation (PLC), an investment holding group, announced they want to expand their City of Dreams Casino brand in the Philippines. Last week the investment group told media sources they plan to build a new location.
During a recent meeting with shareholders PLC told investors that the expansion is being studied by partners and other outside sources. They have also confirmed that a location has not been discussed.
PLC owns the land and the building that the Current City of Dreams Casino operates from, but Melco Resorts is the current casino operator. Melco Resorts is one of the six licensed casino operators in Macau.
The City of Dreams Casino officially opened for business in February of 2015. City of Dreams Casino was the second mega-casino to open in what is now known as Entertainment City. Solaire was the first casino to build in E-city followed by the City of Dreams and finally the Okada. Each of the E-city casinos has agreed to invest over $1 billion USD into their properties.
Entertainment City is known for its striking similarities to the casino districts in Vegas and Macau. Mega-casino resorts now fill the area, all of which contain their own luxury accommodations, hotels, shopping malls, eateries, and much more.
The casino industry is striving in the Philippines and operators are flocking to the area to buy into the market. Last year PH casinos won more than 3.58 billion. Casino revenue has been on the rise for the last few years with this past fiscal year producing a spike of 23%. Next year casino operators are hoping to surpass the $4 billion dollar mark. Gaming regulators say that the vast majority of gambling revenue for the Philippines is generated in Entertainment City.
The current Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) chairwoman Andrea Domingo has pleaded with the President to back off his five-year casino approval moratorium. Many critics believe that Duterte’s five-year ban will block potential investors.
Despite the casino ban Filipino residents can still access legal online casinos located offshore. Mobile casinos offer games such as baccarat, blackjack, live dealer games, Pia Gow, roulette, slots, and more. Philippine gambling laws do not prevent residents from accessing these sites. Philippine gambling laws only restrict online casinos that are based and licensed in the Philippines.