The NuSTAR casino first opened its doors in 2022 with its Queen City, Cebu location, and business has been good. It is so good that the new casino is already ranking sixth in total gross revenue among other land-based casinos in the country.
Since things have gone so well in Cebu, expansion and where in the Philippines might be a good fit have entered the discussion. One potential landing spot that has entered the chat is Clark in Luzon. While vastly different from the casinos in Entertainment City, Luzon has growth potential.
Trevor Hammond, NuSTAR’s senior vice president for gaming and IR operations, told media sources, “We’re only two years old, and if you look at the comparison to the larger hotels in Clark, I know they’ve been operating for over 10 years; we’re hot on their heels. We’ve done what they did in 10 years in two years.”
Hammond said, “I think if the opportunity presents itself, it would be wise to try to spread the gaming footprint across the Philippines. With the success of NuSTAR, we can see that we’ve got the expertise and foresight to do something similar elsewhere. So, we’re constantly looking around for sure.”
While no definite plans for further expansion are set in stone, it is safe to say that the brand will expand its footprint when the time is right. NuSTAR Resort & Casino is the only gaming facility Universal Hotels and Resorts Inc. currently owns, but they have several other hotels and hospitality projects throughout the country.
Luzon Casinos
Luzon is the biggest island in the Philippines and hosts the most casinos, most of which are in or near Manila. Since the island is the biggest and hosts the capital city, Manila, it would make sense for NuSTAR to expand to the “world” stage.
According to Philstar, Manila hosted 14 million tourists in 2023, and the number is expected to grow in the coming years. Gambling is a big draw for many tourists, especially those from China, where casinos are outlawed.
Our guide to the local casinos in Luzon covers the main areas where casinos are plentiful. We also discuss how the industry has helped the Philippines grow and some upcoming plans for casino expansion in the area.